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Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum cleanerhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/dyson-360-eye-robot-vacuum-cleaner
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/dyson-360-eye-robot-vacuum-cleanerDyson is no stranger to high-tech vacuum cleaners, but does its first robotic device impress? Wed, 16 Aug 2017 15:28:46 +0000techradar.comDyson has always been a company that's keen to sit on the cutting edge of consumer technology. It was the first manufacturer to sell bagless vacuum cleaners in the 1990s, and since then has turned its attention to products as wide-ranging as washing machines and even hairdryers, in the shape of the Dyson Supersonic.

Given its vacuum cleaner specialization and high-tech ambitions, it’s perhaps surprising that Dyson took as long as it has to get into the robotic vacuum cleaner market, given that iRobot’s Roombas have been around for over a decade.

But in 2016 Dyson finally released the Dyson 360 Eye. It’s compact, it’s quiet, and it’s easily controlled by a companion app. It also costs a whopping $999 (£799, around AU$1,270).

It's another dependable piece of technology, the likes of which we’ve come to expect from Dyson. But can it do enough to stand out against iRobot, which has to date dominated the robotic vacuum market?

Design and build quality

Looking at the Dyson 360 Eye compared to, say, the iRobot Roomba 980, the machine seems a great deal more compact, although this is only true of its width. The cleaner is just 23cm wide, which is a great deal narrower than the Roomba 980’s massive 35cm.

This small girth is, in theory, great if your home is filled with narrow gaps that the 360 Eye needs to squeeze through. This wasn’t much of a benefit for us, but depending on the layout of your home you might find it more helpful.

However, the downside of this lack of width is the robot’s height, which at 12cm is taller than the Roomba’s 9cm. This ended up being more of an issue for us, as it meant the cleaner was unable to fit underneath one of our raised sofas that the Roomba had no trouble with, but again whether this is an issue for you will depend on the layout of your home and its furniture.

The Dyson 360 Eye has just a single button on its top, which is surrounded by indicator lights

On the top of the device is a single button for starting and stopping the machine, which also doubles as a status indicator light that informs you when the robot’s bin is full, its battery is low, or it’s encountered an error. It’s neatly designed, and does exactly what you need it to do.

In the center of the top of the device is the titular ‘Eye’, which views 360 degrees around the Dyson and allows it to find its way around your home. This sounds impressive, but in practice we found the machine was about as efficient at finding its way around the house than other cleaners.

Underneath the machine is the device’s single brush bar, which sweeps the floor as the 360 Eye drives around. This bar stretches almost the entire width of the machine and can be easily removed for cleaning.

The 360 Eye comes with a charging station which it will automatically return to when its battery dies

The Dyson 360 Eye comes with a charging station that you set up against a wall. The station is certainly minimalist, consisting of a couple of charging pads on the bottom and a four-square pattern on the top that enables the Dyson’s ‘eye’ to locate it. The station’s plug even has built-in cable management, to allow you to tuck away the power chord no matter how close the station is to a plug.

Unlike with the Roomba 980, you don’t get any additional devices to place around your house to tell the Dyson where to clean. It will do an entire floor, with no option to limit its scope aside from physically placing barriers.

Overall we like the functional design of the 360 Eye, although we do wish it looked a little more modern overall. Dyson’s signature grey plastic might have looked space-age back in the 90s when the company was first making vacuum cleaners, but it’s starting to look a little dated compared to modern appliances.

Maintenance

For a machine that's designed to get into every dirty nook and cranny in your home it should come as no surprise that the Dyson 360 Eye accumulates its fair share of dust and dirt on its internals.

Thankfully the whole machine has been designed to be taken apart so that you can easily clean each piece, which you can do with little more than running water.

The item you’ll spend the most amount of time cleaning, not surprisingly, is the device’s dust bin, which is at the front of the machine and which is removed using a small release catch on the top of the machine. Just pop the bin off, take out the filter, and you can easily empty the bin. It’s also easy to detach and clean the device’s air filters.

The 360 Eye is easy to disassemble and clean

Finally, the brush bar can also be completely removed, which we found invaluable for removing the longer hair that became entangled around it over time.

Maintaining the Dyson 360 Eye is as painless as it could be, and it’s refreshing to see a company focusing on allowing you to clean parts rather than simply replacing them when they get dusty.

You’ll have to replace these parts eventually, but the robot’s design makes it easy to take care of them and maximise their lifespan.

Companion app

Like other robot vacuum cleaners, the Dyson 360 Eye comes with a companion app which you can use to schedule regular cleans. You have the option of scheduling cleans on different days at different times that repeat from week to week.

The app will also give you information about the Eye's past activity, including detailed floor plans of your house. It’s interesting information to look at, but in practice your floor plan is unlikely to change much between cleans.

It’s nice to have the additional functionality the app provides, but if you’re anything like us you’re likely to set the 360 Eye to do a daily clean at the same time and never open the app again.

Cleaning performance

Let’s get down to business – how well does the Dyson 360 Eye actually clean your carpet?

Dyson advertises that its machine has “twice the suction of any other robot vacuum”, but in practice we found that this doesn’t quite translate to twice the cleaning ability.

The 360 Eye is a vacuum cleaner that works best when you’re using it regularly. When we had it set up to automatically do a clean once a day, our house looked pretty consistently clean. Its 40-minute battery life was more than enough to make it around the ground floor of our house where it was located, and it’s a great deal quieter than the Roomba 980.

Better still, the Dyson’s bin would take a couple of runs to fill, so we could afford to forget to empty it out occasionally and still get the benefits of it doing a clean.

That said, the robot was much less effective when the house needed a deep clean. One morning after having had lots of people in the house the night before we set the Dyson to work on a carpet that had seen dozens of shoes worn in from outside, only to find that it still needed vacuuming manually once the Dyson was done.

The robot's roller covers the entire width of the machine.

In other words, this is a robot that responds best to a ‘little and often’ approach to vacuuming.

The same could also be said of the machine’s closest competitor, the Roomba 980, although that machine is able, to a certain extent, to know when a bit of floor is especially dirty and go over it a second time.

The Dyson 360 Eye also lacks the side brushes of the Roomba 980, which allow the latter to clean the edges of your room slightly better, although neither machine is especially proficient in this area.

Another issue with the 360 Eye, as with all robot vacuum cleaners, is that it had a tendency to get stuck on various objects around our home. It was slightly better than the Roomba 980 in this regard, the side brushes on which meant that shoe laces were a constant hazard, but it would nevertheless get stuck on guitar stands on a regular basis.

You can avoid these issues by ‘Dyson-proofing’ your home before you leave, but given that the machine works best when it’s vacuuming daily, this can quickly become a hassle.

It's easy to remove the 360 Eye's dust bin to empty it

We liked

The Dyson 360 Eye is a nicely designed machine. It’s small and compact, runs quietly, and does a decent job of keeping your house clean, although you’ll need to make sure you run it fairly regularly.

The app is well designed and easy to use, and while the additional information it gives you might not be that useful, it’s interesting to look at.

Finally, the machine is designed in such a way that it’s very easy to maintain and clean. Its consumable parts can all be detached and cleaned, and as long as you're diligent about cleaning them this should keep them working for the longest-possible time before they need to be replaced.

The Dyson's titular 'eye' allows it to navigate rooms with ease.

We disliked

Although the machine is compact, it’s a little taller than the competition. Whether this is an issue for you, however, will depend entirely on the layout and furniture in your home.

You might need to use the machine a couple of times to get your home as clean as you’d like it to be. The Dyson 360 Eye is most effective if you take a ‘little and often’ approach to cleaning, rather than doing one big clean a week.

Final verdict

The Dyson 360 Eye is an amazingly engineered robot vacuum cleaner. It’s solidly built, runs quietly and efficiently, and is engineered in a way that makes it very easy to maintain.

It’s main competition is the iRobot Roomba 980. They’re both expensive machines, although at the time of writing the Dyson is a fraction cheaper, and for our money is the slightly better machine.

And if you’re prepared to spend the amount of money a robot vacuum cleaner costs, then you won’t be disappointed by the Dyson, and the company’s formidable build quality should keep it running for years to come.

]]>Philips Huehttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/philips-hue-1124842/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/philips-hue-1124842/reviewPhilips is the market leader in smart lighting for a reason. Its ecosystem is fully featured, but the functionality will cost you.Wed, 09 Aug 2017 14:10:00 +0000techradar.comAmbitions are running high for the smart home. Over the years we’ve been promised that eventually our smartphones are going to talk to our fridges, which can talk to our toasters with a little help from a friendly neighborhood internet-connected toilet.

By comparison, the ambition of Philips Hue’s internet-connected light bulbs seem much more limited in scope. However, with its attention laser-focussed on lighting alone, Philips has created one of the most complete smart lighting systems out there, and it’s one that easily beats much of the smart home competition in terms of its robustness and completeness.

However, while Philips Hue is definitely one of the better smart lighting systems out there, we’re still not entirely convinced that they’re decisively better than the traditional ‘dumb’ light bulbs that we’ve been using to light our households for decades.

Where to start?

It’s tough to know where to start with Philips Hue since, after its initial release in 2012, the range has grown to encompass an almost frighteningly large array of colored light bulbs, lamps and lighting strips.

At a minimum, you’ll need at least one connected light and the Philips Hue bridge, which connects to your router and allows you to communicate with your smart bulbs. This makes the two bulb and bridge-equipped starter kit ($69.99 / £59.99 / AU$144.95) the cheapest entry point into the range, but you’re forgoing more advanced features such as smart light switches and color-changing bulbs.

For our tests we used the next step up, a three bulb starter kit that included the company’s color-changing bulbs. Despite the fact that this is still a fairly basic kit, this retails for a much more substantial $199.95 (£149.95 / AU$289.95).

The standard starter kit comes with a bridge and three bulbs.

Once you’ve bought this starter kit things get a lot cheaper however, as you only need one bridge to control your whole setup. Additional lights and switches can all be synced with this same bridge as you build up your home system.

If you’re looking to jump into Philips Hue then this color-changing starter kit is probably the best way to do it, since it will allow you to play around with Hue’s more advanced features without investing to heavily in your initial setup.

Outside of this starter kit, you have a huge number of options for how to proceed. You’ve got additional bulbs that are available in a wide variety of different form factors from candle bulbs through to spotlights, lamps and lighting strips.

Philips also sells a couple of different switches, which allow you to control your lighting without getting your phone out of your pocket (although yes, we appreciate this is something you can already do with your existing lights - we’ll get to that later).

Installation

Installation will vary with the complexity of your setup, but we found it to be about as painless a process as it could be.

Once you’ve got the bulbs seated in their fixtures you’ll need to make sure they’re powered on in order for them to be discoverable.

Next, you simply plug the Hue bridge into both power and your router, download the Hue app (available for iOS and Android devices), and wait for it to discover the bulbs in your home. Our setup discovered the bulbs quickly and easily.

Once your bulbs are discovered you’ll need to assign them to rooms, which allows you to control groups of them much more easily.

With your bulbs assigned to rooms, the setup process is complete and you’ll be able to get stuck in configuring them to your heart’s delight.

The one sticking point here, and it’s a big one, is that you’ll need to leave your bulbs turned on at the wall if you want to be able to control them remotely. Turn them off using your standard light switches, and the bulbs won’t have any power to be able to receive wireless signals.

This proved to be a big problem, as you’ll see from the performance section to come.

The Philips Hue app has recently undergone a redesign and is now much easier to use.

Philips Hue app

Philips has worked hard to develop its app, which has seen a great deal of improvement in the years since the smart bulb’s initial release.

The default home screen shows you your available rooms, allowing you to control all their bulbs as a group. You can tap on the switch to the right of the screen to turn them on to their last setting.

But if you’re using the default settings you’re nowhere near using the Philips Hue bulbs to their potential. The real fun starts when you tap the room’s icon on the left of the screen, which allows you to customize the exact bulb color.

The easiest way to do this is with Philips’ pre-configured scenes, which range from ‘Spring Blossom’ (a cool, white light) through to ‘Savanna Sunset’ (a much richer yellow hue). We found ourselves relying mostly on the activity-specific defaults. ‘Energise’ was perfect for the mornings when the harsh white light worked well to blow away the cobwebs, while ‘Relax’ worked better in the evenings where we wanted our brains to wind down.

If you want to get really granular you can adjust specific settings to create your own scenes, or even have the Hue app create a light scheme based on an imported picture.

This additional functionality is appreciated, but in practice we didn’t feel the need to use it much. After all, there are only so many different shades of yellow to experiment with before the novelty wears off.

The exception was using the lights to play around with bright, primary colors. We can’t ever see ourselves using these in our everyday lives, but they’d make a perfect accessory for a party atmosphere.

Of much great importance is the routines section of the app. From here you’ll be able to set the lights to automatically turn on and off when you arrive at, and subsequently leave the house, as well as allowing you to have the lights turn on and off automatically at different times.

By way of an example, we had the lights turn on to help us wake up in the morning, before automatically turning off when we left the house for work. In the evening we then had the lights turn back on when we arrived back at the house. You could also have the lights turn off automatically at a certain time, but we found it easier to do this manually.

The Philips Hue Tap allows you to switch between up to four pre-defined scenes.

Philips smart switches

There are a couple of switches that Phillips has created to use with its Hue bulbs. As we mentioned earlier, these enable you to control the bulbs without using the app. This not only saves you from having to reach for your smartphone, but it means guests who do not have the app can still control the lights.

The first switch is the Philps Hue Tap Switch, which sells for $49.99 (£49.99, AU$79.95), and comes with four buttons. These buttons can be assigned to the scenes you’ve previously created, allowing you to quickly switch between light settings. You can also assign a button to turn off and on the lights. These settings are configured via a separate app.

The design of the Hue Tap switch is quite pleasant, with three reasonable sized buttons in the lower half of the device’s body. The fourth button is actually the entire face of the switch, which can be pressed in. However, while the design is nice, it does not look like a traditional light switch, which has a tendency to confuse visitors who don’t know what the device is for.

The Philps Hue Tap Switch is easily installed, as it comes with adhesives on the back that allow you to stick it to walls and other surfaces. It does not require batteries either - instead it uses the kinetic energy created when you push the buttons for power, which is pretty nifty.

The second switch is the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch, which has a more simple - and identifiable - design. It doesn’t have the complexity of the Tap Switch, and simply dims or brightens connected lights, or turns them on or off. It’s also more affordable, selling for $24.99 (£19.99, AU$34).

Third-party integration

Of course, the Philips app and accessories are only the start of the Philips Hue ecosystem thanks to the fact that the company has been at pains to integrate its products into a number of other third-party services including Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit, Google Home and IFTTT (aka If This, Then That).

These integrations mean that you can use a dizzying number of devices to control your lights, meaning that if you ask ten different Philips Hue owners how they control their smart lights you’ll probably get ten different answers depending on which accessories they have connected and which phone operating system they use.

Our primary reviewer was using an iPhone SE as their primary means of controlling their lighting setup. This meant that they had the option of jumping into the app to turn on their lights, or else control them from the phone’s control center menu via their HomeKit integration.

They also got their Hue lights connected to an Amazon Echo Dot to allow for voice control.

It's easy to control your Hue lights using an Amazon Echo speaker like the Dot, pictured above.

Doing so was a simple matter of logging into a Hue account from within the Alexa app, after which point controlling the lights was as simple as asking Alexa to turn certain rooms on or off.

A quick word of warning that you need to be sure to give each of your rooms a name that’s distinct and easy to pronounce. It might be convenient to simply name your bedroom ‘Bedroom’, but this will quickly become confusing as soon as you equip other bedrooms in your house with Hue lights.

Meanwhile, another of our reviewers used the Nuimo - Smart Home Controller to control some Hue lightbulbs. This is a nicely designed (and pricey) controller, that worked well in some senses. However, it requires a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone with the Hue app installed, which makes things a little convoluted. So, if that phone is not in range, the controller doesn’t work. There is also a delay when using the Nuimo controller to control Hue, due to the controller having to communicated with the smartphone and then the app. It should be noted that this is a design flaw with Nuimo, rather than Hue. However, we’d suggest Philip’s own switches for quick control of Hue. They are easier to install and cheaper.

How convenient your Hue lights will be to use will vary massively depending on how much you invest in the ecosystem. One of our reviewers relied upon a combination of the Hue App, HomeKit, and Alexa, while the other used Hue alongside their Logitech Harmony Ultimate remote control. This enabled them to set up Hue scenes to accompany devices on the remote control. So, if they pressed “Watch a movie” on the remote control, not only would the TV, sound system and Blu-ray player turn on, but the Hue lights would also automatically dim.

Since their experiences differed so massively, we’ve split their two experiences out into two different sections below.

Jon Porter, UK Home Technology Writer

Initially I thought that with a combination of HomeKit, Alexa, and automation I could completely remove the need to use light switches, but the reality is that after a couple of weeks of use I still end up using them out of convenience.

Let’s start with the positives though, and the aspects of the lights that I’ve continued to use throughout the review process.

Firstly, using the lights to wake myself up in the morning made it much easier to get out of bed in the morning. I’d set a time in the app, and then find myself gently nudged awake by the lights. It was also much more difficult to ignore them when turning them off involved opening an app to do so.

However, the lack of options for using the lights as an alarm was annoying. Ideally you want a bright white light in the morning to energise yourself, but when using them as an alarm the bulbs would only ever turn on to their last color setting; and since I was using them late at night this was normally a night-friendly soft yellow glow.

It was also a pleasure to use the lights late at night. I find bright lights can sometimes make me feel awake even when my body is tired, so being able to dim the Hue lights without having to install dimmer switches was helpful.

Then when lying in bed it was helpful to be able to turn the lights off completely using my voice without having to either look at a bright phone screen or else walk over to the light switch. This was especially helpful when turning off lights in other rooms of the house that were accidentally left on.

Unfortunately, outside of these two instances it was much harder to motivate myself to continue to use the smart lighting system.

I’d either come home and inadvertently flick the light switch off because I forgot that I’d used the app to turn them off in the morning, or muscle memory would mean that I’d turn the bulbs off at the wall as I left the room - meaning I could no longer control them remotely when I re-entered.

This really gets to the crux of the problem with all smart lighting products. It’s that no matter how good the app is, or how many third-party services it integrates with; the fact is that unless you invest in internet-connected light switches you’ll almost certainly find yourself controlling your lights the old fashioned way.

This problem is doubled if you live with others. Try as I might, I simply couldn’t convince my flatmates that pulling out their phones was more convenient than using our home’s existing light switches. Nine times out of ten I’d arrive home to find the bulbs in the communal areas of the house turned off at the wall, and impossible to operate remotely.

Ultimately I ended up using the smart bulbs as a bit of a hybrid. I’d automate their functionality for first thing in the morning or last thing at night, but then use them like regular light bulbs for the rest of the day. This felt like a waste considering the cost of the bulbs.

Matthew Hanson, UK Computing Editor

I absolutely love my Hue setup, and use a variety of Hue devices around my home. With careful tweaking in the Hue app, and knowing the best Hue product to use for your needs, you can easily create some excellent - and handy - effects. For example, I have an outside light that I have installed a standard white Hue light bulb in. Using the Hue app, I have set this to turn on automatically when the sun sets, and to turn off when the sun rises. That means if I arrive home late at night, my door is safely illuminated. I’ve also named this light bulb ‘Outside light’, and then use my Amazon Echo to turn it off if I don’t need it, by simply saying “Alexa, turn off outside light”.

My living room is filled with various colored Hue lightbulbs that allow me to set the scene for various tasks, or times of day. As mentioned earlier, I have combined Hue with my Logitech Harmony remote, so it will automatically dim the lights when watching a movie, then brighten the lights when I’ve finished. It’s a cool effect, and in the Hue app you can set it so that this only happens when the sun goes down, which is a nice touch

I’ve also used the Hue LED lightstrip to run along the back of my fish tank (on the outside, of course), which provides some stunning lighting effects. With a bit of tweaking and imagination, you can do some excellent things with Hue, and I would love to fill my entire house with Hue bulbs and devices. However, these is a major obstacle to me doing this: price.

These bulbs are pretty expensive, which is why I have used a combination of colored and white ones, to keep prices down. I’d love to use Philips Hue GU10 lightbulbs for the spotlights in my kitchen - but a pair costs £50 - and as I have eight lights that would set me back £200! However, I’ve found that a bit of patience with filling my home with Hue helps - if you wait for Black Friday, you can often get some excellent Hue deals.

Philips definitely understands what the smart home needs right now. It’s produced a wide range of different bulbs, which create a complete lighting ecosystem, and it’s made an effort to integrate with almost every third-party service under the sun.

This is really what the smart home needs right now. Not isolated products working in silos, but smart devices ready to integrate together to work as a team.

All of this means that the Philips Hue bulbs are among the best smart bulbs on the market today, but the real competition is from traditional ‘dumb’ bulbs, which can be bought at a fraction of the cost.

On this point we still think that unless you’re prepared to invest a lot of money in a full suite of bulbs and switches, then you won’t get the most out of your Hue bulbs.

We liked

The Philips Hue range has grown considerably, and it now has bulbs for almost every type of light fixture. It’s also got a number of smart switches that allow you to control your lights the old fashioned way.

The bulbs themselves produce a nice quality of light that’s much better than the harsh white light that used to be associated with LED bulbs.

After a couple of key updates, the Philips Hue app is in a pretty good state. It’s quick and easy to turn your bulbs on and off and it’s also no trouble to set custom colors and scenes.

Finally, Philips Hue integrates with an impressive number of third-party services, meaning that it makes it as easy as possible to get the bulbs speaking to the rest of your smart home.

You'll need to have the Philips Hue Bridge plugged into you router for the lights to work.

We disliked

They’ve come down in price over the years, but Philips Hue bulbs are still far more expensive than their non-smart equivalents. If you’re going to purchase them then you’re going to need to make the most out of their smart functionality or else that extra money will have been spent in vain.

This expense gets even worse if you want to build a complete ecosystem. Additional light switches can cost as much as the bulbs themselves.

The problem is that without them you’ll need to constantly pull your phone out of your pocket to turn the lights on and off, and over time you might find yourself just using your old light switches - which makes your smart lighting seem redundant.

Final verdict

If you’re prepared to invest in the complete ecosystem, then Philips Hue really does offer the best smart lighting solution around. Philips offers almost everything you could need to build a smart lighting system, and its integration with third-party services allows you to fill in any blanks.

But if you’re hoping to get away with investing in a couple of bulbs and calling it a day then you might end up being disappointed as it can end up feeling like a hassle having to use your phone to control your lights.

]]>Hive Active Heating 2
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/hive-active-heating-2-review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/hive-active-heating-2-reviewHive wants to be the centre of your smart home - and that’s fine by us.
Thu, 27 Jul 2017 15:14:11 +0000techradar.comUPDATED: We've added the Hive Smart Camera to our Hive Active Heating 2 review. This new smart cam is Hive's big push into making your home not just smarted but secure, too.

Turning your home into a smart home is still a scary prospect for many - mainly because it sounds like something that will cost a lot of money and there’s an assumption you have to go ‘all in’ to get any real benefits. This just isn’t the case anymore, however, with smart systems such as Hive allowing you to start off small and add some smarts to your home bit by bit.

We’ve had Hive for more than a month now and as each week has passes we’ve found something new to do with it.

At its heart, Hive is a smart heating system, but the brand has been expanding over the last four years to offer up a whole-home smart setup. It’s this modular approach to creating a smart home that users will benefit from - you can use Hive to heat your house and have fun doing this, or you can allow it to take control of lights, sensors and more, all of which are easy to control through the accompanying Hive app.

The initial installation is the hardest part of the Hive setup but it’s something you don’t actually need to do yourself. Hive's British Gas connection means that once you purchase the product the installation of Hive is included, although it's worth noting that you don't have to be a British Gas customer to use the smart home system.

For its initial £249 price you get a wireless thermostat controller, the Hive hub, a receiver that connects up your boiler to the controller and a person to come install the thing.

Yes, the price is a little steep but the technology you are buying into - more on this later in the review - is worth it.

Hive is also boasting on its website, that by using its system over the course of a year you can save up to £150 on your heating bills.

We haven’t had the system installed for long enough to test this claim but the smarts of the service certainly suggest a saving is possible. We'll naturally return to this review in due course when we've got more data available.

The installation was hassle free on our part. We have a combi boiler - two boilers in a house can also work, you just have to choose the multi-zone package which allows you to control the boilers separately - and already had a rudimentary wireless system attached. The installer simply replaced this with Hive and the whole process took under an hour.

The Hive hub was also set up in this time. The hub is the beating heart of Hive. It connects up to your router and is the thing that each Hive product connects to. Again, setup for this was within that hour time, and included a walkthrough of the app.

Features and performance

To try out Hive, we didn’t just road test the thermostat for over a month but added a bunch of extras, too. A few years ago, Hive was just a connected thermostat but the service has since expanded to include smart plugs, sensors and connected lights. All of these are also controlled by the Hive app and can be used in a number of ways.

Let's start with the thermostat.

The Hive thermostat is one of the best-looking controllers we have seen for smart heating. It has a physical dial in the centre of the device, which you can move clockwise or anti-clockwise to turn the temperature up or down.

That’s pretty much it.

The controller is dormant until you turn that dial - once turned it will show on the left-hand side the ‘target’ temperature and on the right the ‘actual’ temperature. If your house has hit the target temperature, then the heating will stay off until it drops, then will turn back on again.

If you feel the need to boost the temperature a little then there’s a physical button on the top, press this and you can choose how long you want the heating to stay on for, regardless of whether or not you've hit your optimum temperature.

There are three clickable buttons below the dial as well. The middle one brings up extra settings - child lock and frost protection - on the left of this is a back button and on the right a confirm button.

It’s really easy to use and has been deliberately made this way. After all British Gas is a company that’s been in the heating business for years, and clearly they've learnt a thing or two in that time. If you want more heating control, then you head to the app.

The Hive app is well designed and a joy to use. The more Hive products you have the more circles you have to press on the main screen - heating always remains in the centre though. If you don’t fancy the visual layout, then you can also look at all your Hive products in list form - at a glance you will be able to see which are online, what status they are in and any schedules you may have sorted.

We struggled a little with scheduling our heating through the app but did get there in the end. Click into heating and what you get is a quick-fix boost button, a circle telling you what the temperature is and another telling you what you want it to be. You can move the temperature with a flick of the thumb.

At the bottom there are a few options: Schedule, Manual and off. Schedule is where you can tell your thermostat when to go on and off during the day. The layout is simple enough, but it’s actually a little fiddly to do. It offers up six time slots - click on one of them and you can change what the temperature will be for that time. It’s all fine, until you start changing the times - sometimes the app gets confused with the start and end points of when you want the heating to be on.

It's a far cry from the Nest app with its granular 15 minute increments and ability to learn intelligently how you like your heating set up.

Persevere, though, and the Hive app does eventually sort itself out.

Once you have got one day sorted you can copy that schedule for the rest of the days of the week, if you so wish. Once this is done, you’ll find the app is so easy to use that you’ll hardly touch the actual thermostat - controlling your heating with you phone is much more fun.

The Hive app also has a neat geolocation tool. Use it and it will tell you if you have left your heating on when you are out of your house and send you reminders to switch it on before you get back home, so the place will be toasty for you. It’s not a feature you will use if you have rigidly sorted the schedule but it’s a worthy addition nonetheless. And if you go on holiday, there is a mode for this too, which essentially keeps your heating dormant until you return.

Unfortunately the thermostat doesn't support any kind of motion sensing (like that found in the Nest), so it has to rely solely on this geolocation tool to work out if you're home or not. It's a shame that this feature has been omitted, since it's a feature that makes the Nest a much more effortless experience.

Hive: the centre of your smart home

To install these, you connect them as per the simple instructions on their box, then click on the Install Devices section of the app. It will ask you to Add a Heating Zone or Add Another Device. Add Another Device will automatically push the app to search for any devices in your home. There is a time limit of 10 minutes on this, but each one of our devices were found in under a minute.

Once found they will be labelled rather generically Plug One, Light One etc. You can easily rename them which helps massively if you have a few of them dotted around your house.

Controlling these is simple. With the lights, you just have to make sure that your light switches are always on, and then turn the lights off through the app.

Through the app you can dim them by a percentage each time - there’s a slight delay in telling the app to do this and it actually happening but it’s mere seconds.

Hive has also introduced colour-changing bulbs. These work really well. For our tests, we installed one in our nursery and it worked a treat. Like with the standard smart bulbs, the idea is that you switch the lights to 'on' all the time, then turn the light on and off with the app. If you don't do this, you will notice a weird flash that lasts around half a second when you turn the light on from the switch. It takes some getting used to and may make you jump so best to keep the light switched on and work within the app.

Much like the standard lights, the app is setup so you can change the look of the light in increments. As well as being able to choose how dim the light is, you can also change the colour - by pressing the pipet icon. The colour choice goes from red to orange, yellow, blue, purple and back to red again. There is also the option to have them simply as 'white'.

We had a lot of fun with the bulbs but at £44.99 they are more than double the price of the standard bulbs.

When it comes to the motion sensors, for some reason notifications are switched off to begin with. So, even through your motion detectors will detect motion, the only way you will know about it is by looking at the activity log in the app.

Switching notification on is just a couple of clicks away and - and you have the choice of how to be notified, through push notifications, text or by email. In our trials, it took around five seconds for the motion to be detected and the notification to be sent. When it comes to the smart plugs, these work well as light timers - add one to any light in the house and you can schedule them to go on and off. We added it to one of our outside lights - which has a plug on the inside - and it worked great.

Frustratingly, there's no option to hook the motion sensor up to your thermostat, so you won't be able to have your thermostat automatically know that you're home just from sensing your motion.

Since we reviewed Hive, the sensors have been redesigned. We will be trying out the new sensors, although they should work the same as the ones we have reviewed - they've just been given an updated look.

The real fun comes in with the recipes built into the app. Think of it like IFTTT, but with only recipes that you'll actually want to use. For instance, you can pair up a light with a sensor. If the sensor is tripped then you can have a recipe that will automatically turn one of your connected lights on.

For obvious reasons, this sort of approach would be good in deterring burglars but it's also good if you want your light to come on in the middle of the night when you get up and walk past one of the sensors. It’s a great addition to the app and really makes you want to buy more Hive-related products.

And that’s the thing about Hive’s modular approach - you can smarten up your home with the smart thermostat and be more than happy (and warm) but add a motion sensor here, an active light there and the whole system begins to marry together really well.

Be warned, though, this is when it starts to get expensive. Each active light costs upwards of £19, the sensors are around the same price and the plugs are nearly £40. Add this up and it can be pricey, but the whole idea of Hive is to add things over time.

Hive does have a monthly plan you can buy into for £4.99 a month, which will give you big discounts so that might be worth looking into.

Alexa integration

While Hive is pretty much a closed smart home system (in that Philips smart lights won’t work with Hive and Hive sensors won’t work with Nest) it has integrated with Amazon Alexa, meaning that you can control your heating with your voice. We tried the Hive system with Alexa on an Amazon Echo and it really raises the bar for what a smart home can be.

Turning off and on your lights by saying: “Alexa, turn on the hall light to 50%” will never get boring, and neither will upping your heating another few degrees by asking Alexa nicely.

Adding Hive to the Alexa setup was really easy - you just add in your account credentials. Once done, you don’t actually need to go into the app again, just use your voice. Obviously, integrating Alexa into this setup is another cost, but the Amazon Echo combined with Hive really is a fantastic experience.

Hive Camera review

The Hive Camera has arrived to bolster the Hive setup, bringing it into line with other smart home ecosystems, namely Nest. It’s the first connected smart camera from Hive. The idea is that you add one of these - though multi-packs are also available - in your home, and can then observe it from afar via an HD stream on your Android or iOS device.

So far so good, but even though the Hive Camera is meant to live within your current Hive setup it’s actually been separated out into its own app that's distnct from the heating system, smart bulbs and sensors you may have installed in your home.

To set it up, you have to download an app called Hive Camera. So, instead of going through the main Hive app and clicking on Install a Device, you have to load up the Hive Camera app and install the camera from there.

The good news is that the app works in a similar way to the main one - and you can use your same Hive sign-in so there’s no extra faffing in that department. Simply click on Add Camera to... well, you get the idea. From here there’s a nice visual checklist of what you need to do to register the camera with your Wi-Fi.

There’s just three steps: plug the thing in, push the Wi-Fi button on the back of the device and wait for the flashing LED to go from red to a yellow/green. Another page will then highlight your camera, click on this, add in your Wi-Fi password and then wait for the now blue LED light to change to green.

Now, this may not work first time. For some unknown reason it didn’t for us. This meant we had to reset the device through the reset button - situated next to the Wi-Fi button - and follow the steps again. It worked second time around, though, and from then on it was easy to use the app to view footage from our camera on our Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+.

While we’re still not completely convinced that a separate app is needed to control the camera, having all the controls in one place does make a degree of sense as there’s myriad ways you can use the camera. For a start, you can choose the quality of the stream. We whacked it straight up to HD but you can opt for a lower quality (low or medium resolution) if your internet connection buckles under the might of clear video streaming.

We did find, though, that opting for a lower stream did mean that things like the zoom controls became a little redundant as it's a little too pixelated to pick anything of note out. The stream on all qualities, though, was consistent - we saw little-to-no dropout in our tests.

Then there’s the type of alerts you may want to turn on when using the camera for security purposes. You can have the app alert you if/when the camera picks up a sound in the room and/or if it detects any movement.

If it does and you are away from your home, there’s a good chance you will want to scare the crap out of whatever intruder is in your home when you are not there. To do this, you can use the two-way speaker system or opt for the far more fun feature of piping out the sound of a dog barking, a police siren or an alarm from the camera. Yes, it’s a bit of a gimmick but it’s a good one - even if, because of the speaker limitations of the camera, it’s not the loudest sound that’s emitted.

The Hive Camera is being touted by Centrica (the folks behind British Gas and Hive) as an indoor security camera but the technology can also be put to good use in other ways in the home. As a new-ish parent, we tried the camera alongside regular baby monitoring system and it worked well. The camera’s night vision mode meant we had a good look at our baby when asleep and the monitoring of audio and movement helped as well.

It’s also really handy to get the stream through a smartphone or tablet, rather than having to lug a separate monitoring device around.

It’s not just a streaming device, either. There’s an SD card slot on the top of the device so you can add in some memory to record your streams - handy if you want to catch burglars in the act.

The Hive Camera is a great, if slightly estranged add-on to the current Hive setup. Its use of a separate app means that it never quite feels like it’s part of the same group of Hive accessories that work with the Hive Smart Hub.

Centrica could remedy this fairly simply by adding some Actions that work with the Hive Camera, such as the ability to turn a light on or off when the camera detects motion - something that can be done at the moment through a Hive motion detector and Hive’s smart lights - but there’s no word on this happening just yet.

As a standalone device, though, it’s a decent and reasonable priced way to get a smartcam into your home. The Hive Camera is available to purchase from for £129, or available for a monthly cost as part of the Hive Home Check Plan.

This plan is available from £22 a month and consists of 1x Hive Camera, 2x Hive Active Light Cool to Warm White, 1x Hub ,1x Hive Motion Sensor, 2x Hive Window or Door Sensors and 1x 16GB SD card, as well as access to Hive Live.

The Hive Camera is also part of a bigger and well smarter smart plan from Centrica. It was announced as the first of a number of new Hive-based products. The others aren’t released yet but include a smart leak system and a more robust Hive Active Hub which will be able to detect audio so will be able to alert you when your smoke alarm is going off.

There is also a new Hive camera to be revealed in the near future - there’s no news as of yet but we suspect it to be an outdoor cam. Once these smart pieces are in place maybe we will start to see the Hive Camera move from the outskirts of the Hive experience and into the heart of the action.

We Liked

The Hive system is a great way to get true smart home functionality in your home. It’s easy to use too - the barrier to entry is really low as Hive is run by British Gas, it doesn't let complicated features get in the way of its ease of use.

As it’s a modular system, you can add sensors, active lights and smart plugs, smart cameras - as many or as few as you want. The standalone heating system is smart enough on its own if that’s as far as you want to go with making your home that little bit smarter. And then there’s Alexa integration - this really gives the system a voice!

We Disliked

The initial costs are quite steep and adding devices soon adds up as well - although the introduction of the new is Hive Home Check Plan is welcomed. And while the app is great to use, we were stuck a few times when it came to scheduling our heating. It just wasn't a little fiddlier to use than we would have liked, and nowhere near as easy as the auto-scheduling offered by Nest. The addition of a separate app for the Hive Camera is also a disappointment.

Where Hive also comes up short compared to Nest is its lack of a motion sensor, which with Nest allows the thermostat to automatically turn on your heating when it senses that you're home, and conversely avoid heating an empty house.

Final Verdict

Hive is a fantastic smart home system that’s only going to grow and grow, thanks to the new products Centrica is producing to add to the system - we've seen this with the addition of the Hive Camera and there's much more to come. It’s stylish and smart enough to entice the more technologically minded to the system. The addition of Alexa support also means Hive has elevated its position in the smart home market even more.

]]>Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link (2017)http://www.techradar.com/reviews/dyson-pure-hot-cool-link
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/dyson-pure-hot-cool-linkDyson’s latest device is the smartest fan and purifier combo that’s ever existed.Mon, 22 May 2017 02:45:09 +0000techradar.comUPDATE: This year, Dyson has released an updated version of its Pure Hot + Cool Link which, while almost identical to last year's model, features an even better filter to help keep the air pure in your home. The review below has been updated to include more information about the new filter.

They say cleanliness is next to godliness, and if that’s the case, Dyson’s latest fan is doing its darndest to make your home a little more like heaven. Promising to keep you cool in the summer (well, as much as a non-air conditioning fan can), warm in the winter and breathing well all year round, the Pure Hot + Cool Link aims to give you everything in Dyson’s fan-related arsenal.

Having already impressed with its popular Hot + Cool fans, the Pure Hot + Cool Link improves upon Dyson’s existing range in almost every way imaginable. Not only do we now have a Hot +Cool fan with a purifier built right into it, ensuring that the stuffy, allergen-filled air in your house is recycled into fresh, clean air, you can now take full control of the fan/purifier combo from your iOS or Android device. It even allows you to monitor the air quality, temperature and humidity of your room from anywhere in the world.

Though it’s undoubtedly one of the most ambitious and advanced consumer products that Dyson has ever designed, it’s not cheap, priced at a hefty $619.99 (AU$779.95/£499.99). Ambitious as it is, there are some factors to consider when deciding whether the Pure Hot + Cool Link is the right fan for you.

So fresh and so clean, clean

Whether you’re aware of it or not, pollens, allergens and bacteria are everywhere in your household. While they may not be making you noticeably sick, they’re certainly not helping, either. Some of these harmful particles are microscopic, making it easy for them to be ingested into your body.

And, if you have pets, you’re doubly vulnerable to allergens, with pet dander (microscopic flecks of skin) likely to be found in every corner and crevice of your home.

To combat these microscopic invaders, the Pure Hot + Cool Link uses a 360° Glass HEPA filter, which Dyson claims will capture 99.97% of the allergens and pollutants floating around your living area.

In a Dyson-led demonstration, the bottom half of a Pure Hot + Cool Link unit was placed in a glass case which was then filled with smoke. Before long, the smoke inside this transparent box started to dissipate, illustrating just how hard the device’s filter was working to remove toxins from the air.

And it's only been improved for the 2017 model – this year, Dyson has upgraded the device's filter with an extra layer of activated carbon for improved gas capture.

Thanks to the inclusion of Tris-coated activated carbon granules, it's now possible for the Pure Hot + Cool Link to capture even more harmful pollutants, including formaldehyde, benzene, toluene and napthalene. These pollutants are commonly found in pressed wood products, building and insulating materials, paints, adhesives, vehicle emissions, lacquers, tobacco smoke and other harmful substances.

Unfortunately, this kind of purification filter cannot be cleaned, meaning you’ll need to replace it once it’s reached its pollutant quota. Each filter should provide you with around 4,000 hours of fan time (you can monitor this from the new Dyson app), which will probably last you a year or so, depending on how often you leave the fan running.

Thankfully, the filter is remarkably easy to access – simply hold down the two buttons on either side of the unit and lift the fan portion off to reveal the Pure Hot + Cool Link’s innards.

Large and cylindrical in shape, the filter slips out easily, and slotting a new one in its place is as just as straightforward as it sounds.

Though this year's Pure Hot + Cool Link comes with the new and improved filter with an extra layer of activated carbon, owners of last year's model are able to get the same purification experience by simply purchasing the updated replacement filter from Dyson for AU$99.95 (US and UK price unknown).

The Link's filter is easy to remove, but pricey to replace.

Appy days

Sure, you can take Dyson’s word that the Pure Hot + Cool Link is improving the air quality in your home, but you’re better off monitoring it yourself in real time with Dyson’s iOS and Android app.

Setting up the app will take a few minutes, as you’ll have to find your new Dyson device, name it, and then connect it to your Wi-Fi network (2.4Ghz only). To do this, you have to set the fan to Wi-Fi mode, then discover it from your phone or tablet. Near the base of the unit, next to the power button, you’ll find a connection password. Once connected, your unit will be listed under ‘My Dyson machines’ in the Dyson app – simply tap on the device to control it, adjust its settings and monitor your air quality.

Before you start purifying, you'll need to connect your device to the Dyson app.

The first time we checked the air quality in our room, we got back a yellow ‘Average’ rating, illustrating to us that it was far from the best it could be. However, after a single day of running the Pure Hot + Cool Link, the room achieved top marks with a green ‘Good’ rating. If you really want to stay on top of your air quality monitoring, the Dyson app also offers daily and weekly status reports which you can flick through at your leisure.

The Dyson app’s scheduling system also makes it possible to maintain a consistent level of air quality year-round. This means that you can set aside specific hours of each day in which the unit will switch itself on and start purifying – you can select the fan speed, temperature, oscillation mode, jet focus control and more in any way you see fit.

The Dyson app lets you keep an eye on your room's air quality and set a purifying schedule.

App connection issues

For some reason, I was unable to complete the device’s setup from my Samsung Galaxy S7, as it’d always fail during the Wi-Fi connection process. However, once I went through the process on an iPhone 6, the Pure Hot + Cool Link connected immediately. It was only once that initial Wi-Fi connection was established that I managed to access the fan from my Android phone.

Unfortunately, my Android connection problems didn’t stop there. Though I could initially control the unit from the app on my S7, allowing me to adjust settings like fan speed, heat and oscillation, after a few days the control portion of the app became unresponsive, with none of my setting changes registering on the device. Still working flawlessly on iOS, I ended up having to delete and reinstall the Android app, which also forced me to go through the connection process again. Thankfully, the Pure Hot + Cool Link comes with its own remote that magnetically snaps to the top of the fan, so you’ll always have control if the app is giving you trouble.

While these issues will likely be fixed by an app update, they did offer some frustration. I was able to get past this roadblock because I had an iOS device on hand, but not everyone is going to have that luxury.

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link is capable of keeping the air in spacious room clean.

Sleep a little better

As someone who likes to use a fan while sleeping, my biggest issue with previous Dyson models has always been their ridiculously bright displays that could not be dimmed in any way. Capable of brightening up a darkened room, these lights will scorch themselves into your brain if not covered in some fashion.

In the past, I’ve been told that strategically placing a teddy bear in front of the unit will block the light, though this doesn’t work well when the fan is oscillating. The only solution that ever worked for me involved the buying of a tennis headband that I could stretch out and place over the display area. Sure, this blocks the fan’s retina-searing luminosity, but it also covers its infrared sensor, meaning you’ll have to get up and slide the headband up to use the remote.

Thankfully, Dyson has finally addressed this make-or-break issue by introducing a ‘Night Mode’ which can be set with either a single button press or on a schedule. When switched on, the mode will automatically dim the display and shut it off after a few seconds. A small light will remain to let you know the fan is powered on, but it’s nowhere near as bright as the ‘alien tractor beam’ level that previous models regrettably achieved.

The Link's 360° Glass HEPA filter catches the allergens and pollutants in the air.

Verdict

Without a doubt, Dyson’s Pure Hot + Cool Link is one of the most advanced products that the company has ever developed for consumers. Its smart functionality changes the fan experience for the better and its purifying capability is extremely impressive. Though it easily eclipses previous Dyson fans in terms of functionality, there are still some things to consider before purchasing the Pure Hot + Cool Link. For one, you will need to occasionally replace the Link’s filter, which is quite a pricey endeavour. Secondly, the device has some niggling connectivity issues when it comes to Android devices. If you’re willing to overlook these potential issues, the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link is the greatest fan the company has ever released. It certainly has a fan in me.

]]>Sphero BB-8 with Force Bandhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/sphero-bb-8-with-force-band-1303159/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/sphero-bb-8-with-force-band-1303159/reviewControlling BB-8 with the additional wearable is magical... and you can watch Force Awakens and Rogue One with it, too.Mon, 08 May 2017 08:57:00 +0000techradar.comUPDATED:We've watched Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with BB-8 and put the droid through its paces to give it a full review.

BB-8, the lovable spherical droid from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, stole our hearts the moment we saw him on stage at the Star Wars Celebration in 2015. He had the chutzpah of R2-D2 but came in a more portable, technologically impressive package.

OK, he's a rolling sphere – but still – it's hard not to love him all the same.

We wanted one. And we were willing to risk a lifetime of lawsuits in order to get one – even if that meant sneaking onto the set of the next Star Wars film to get one of our own.

Thankfully, Sphero (formerly known as Orbotix), a startup electronics firm that shot to fame off the back of its first remote-controlled robot toy that goes by the same name, created a miniature BB-8 version of their toy. And it was love all over again.

It could react to its environment through a number of emotion-packed bleeps and bloops, display short visual messages from R2-D2 and C-3P0 or simply be let loose to explore its surroundings on its own volition.

We thought we had it all, but this month Sphero showed up with a new version of BB-8, one that could be controlled via a wearable that it called the Force Band.

The Band comes at a retail price of $79.99 / €89.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.99 - though we have found it for much cheaper. Or, if you want the new battle-worn BB-8 and the Band in one package deal, the Band can be purchased with the toy for $199.99 / €219.99 / £179.99 / AU$349.99.

Strap on the Force Band and you can control BB-8 through hand gestures – push the air to send him rocketing forward, twist your wrist to turn his head or pull him back by raising your arm to your chest Darth Vader-style.

To go along with the release of the Band and special edition battle-worn BB-8, Sphero is also updating the BB-8 app on iOS and Android to enable all sorts of new experiences that will excite wizened Jedi Knights and novice Padawans alike.

May the force be with you, always

At some point we'll need to talk technical specs – how to get the BB-8 Sphero up and rolling around, what the app is like and how much this little novelty is going to set you back – but first let's talk about how magical it is to actually use your hand to control an object from the Star Wars universe.

Now, there have been any number of children's toys in the past that have allowed you some semblance of control, but few of them live up to the joy you'll experience while using BB-8 and hearing Obi-Wan's voice as he explains your menu options.

Movement, as I explained earlier, is all processed by the gyroscope and accelerometer inside the Band itself, which can be worn on either wrist. The Band understands four commands – move away from you, move towards you, rotate and stop all together. Four is a bit limited, sure, but it's enough to get the job done.

Now all of this comes with a caveat: mastering the Force Band isn't easy. A few months back, Sphero released a short clip of a Hayden Christensen look alike playing with the toy, making it seem like controlling the droid is as intuitive as letting the force flow through you. Unfortunately, it's a bit harder than that. It took about two hours for me to really get the hang out it, and even now I doubt I could guide it through Beggar's Canyon without running into a Womp Rat or two. (That's a Star Wars reference, not a legitimate claim, by the way.)

The problem, I think, lies with the gyroscope and accelerometer – they seem just tuned enough to get the job done but aren't anywhere near as accurate as they could be.

Still, despite a steep learning curve and a few mishaps while guiding BB-8 around the room, using the Force Band is a fun gimmick that re-invigorated my force-attuned heart.

The app awakens

The app opens with a familiar Star Wars theme tune while it pairs to the droid via Bluetooth and though the initial setup takes a little longer than expected – the app actually loads BB-8's orientation data from the droid itself – the connection was stable.

Once downloaded and paired with your device there is a menu screen with four old options – Drive, Message, Patrol and Settings – and a few new ones that work exclusively with the Band like Force Training, Force Awareness and Combat Training.

Drive is borrowed from the standard Sphero app and requires you to hold your phone in landscape mode while you control BB-8's movement with your left hand – it's not as fun to use as the Force Band, but it's a heck of a lot more practical.

Another neat thing the Sphero BB-8 droid can do is watch the new Star Wars movies with you. That's right, give Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for a spin, load up the accompanying BB-8 app and the little droid will interact with the movie, bleeping and blooping when familiar faces appear on the screen.

We recently watched Rogue One with BB-8 and additional information about Jyn came up on the app and he interacted like he recognised her, as well as cowering whenever a certain Darth Vader appeared. It's probably something you will only do once but it is a lot of fun to try out.

On the other hand, if you feel like having BB-8 zip around the house but aren't in the mood to actually control the droid yourself, the Patrol feature gives BB-8 a mind of it's own.

Battery life and letting the Wookie win

So how long can you expect to spend with BB-8 before it needs to top off on its rebel base? (It actually comes with a Star Wars-themed charging dock, which is pretty neat.)

Three hours of charging will give you a full hour of play-time, but even in its cradle BB-8 will be beeping, squeaking and bobbing its head around as though it's eager to get out and roll around, making it one of the neatest – if one of the most expensive – items on your desk.

The sound effects BB-8 makes are just one of the many details that Sphero got so right about the little droid. The side decals are artfully crafted and the mannerisms that BB-8 makes while just trolling around the house are nearly identical to the ones you've seen in movie theaters.

Its attention to details – the muppets that appear from time to time in the sand of Tatooine; the holographic monsters in the game of Holochess (it's actually called Dejarick, by the way); and entrancing, otherworldly cantina music – that made the film so memorable, so it's nice to see that same level of attention given to Sphero's BB-8.

Verdict

The holographic AR messaging, automatic robotic mode and the cute mannerisms of BB-8 made our first impression of this little droid an overwhelmingly good one, and now the addition of the Force Band has only made us fall more deeply in love with the little guy.

Of course, we wish the battery life was just a hair longer and the learning curve a bit less steep, but for the sticker price we're blown away with the natural evolution (and perfect product tie-in) that Sphero has created for itself.

Additional reporting by Joel Burgess and Marc Chacksfield

]]>Dyson Supersonichttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/dyson-supersonic-uk
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/dyson-supersonic-ukWe get to grips with Dyson's super-expensive but super-advanced Supersonic hair dryer.Tue, 21 Mar 2017 15:19:29 +0000techradar.comWhen we first heard that Dyson was planning to bring out a high-powered hair dryer we were slightly blown away (we won’t do that much more, we promise).

However, when you consider that at its most basic level a hairdryer is essentially a vacuum cleaner in reverse, and isn't really that different from a hand dryer or a fan – two other devices that Dyson has sought to reinvent – the decision begins to make a lot more sense.

The science of airflow has cross-product applications, and after four years in development and £50 million spent on research, Dyson has brought its engineering innovations to the luxury personal care market.

We know – just how far can you really innovate when it comes to a hair dryer? About as much as you can innovate a hand dryer which, for Dyson, turns out to be more than most would expect – Dyson has managed to reinvent a product that has remained essentially unchanged for decades.

Unfortunately, this reinvention comes at a cost; at £300 the Dyson Supersonic is the most expensive hair dryer on the market. But that price tag will be less of a sticking point if the product is worth it, so let’s assess that.

To make sure we weren’t being taken in by the fancy-sounding tech we decided to use the Dyson Supersonic over a period, alongside a much lower-end hair dryer we already owned, the BaByliss Turbo Power 2200, which can be purchased for around £23.

Design

When we said hair dryers haven’t really changed in decades we meant it; the last significant design change happened all the way back in the 60s when the bulky motor was moved into the main casing.

This was an improvement on what we had before, but it resulted in a bulky device with most of its weight in the top rear of the device. This isn’t exactly ideal for something you hold above your head; we’ve experienced more than one thump to the head thanks to a weary arm.

With the Dyson Supersonic, this isn’t a problem. By using a much smaller and more efficient V9 digital motor – the company’s smallest in fact – Dyson has been able to move the motor from the head of the dryer into its handle. This redistributes the weight, and makes the entire thing much more compact.

Holding the Dyson Supersonic in one hand and our usual hair dryer in the other we found the change in weight distribution was immediately noticeable, and with its improved balance and lower weight the Supersonic was much more comfortable and manageable to hold aloft for long periods.

In addition to making the dryer lighter and easier to hold, the Supersonic’s much smaller motor can propel 13 litres of air per second, and spins around eight times faster than the motors used in standard hair dryers, which Dyson says makes it more efficient, and much less likely to overheat and burn out.

The Supersonic also has a glass bead thermometer that monitors its temperature 20 times per second, and transmits the data back to a microprocessor to make sure the heat remains consistent.

All this means you won’t have to deal with that metallic burning smell that you sometimes get when you use other hair dryers for a long period of time. And you also won’t have to deal with the worrying smell of burning hair, as the microprocessor keeps the airflow temperature stable and under 150 degrees no matter what.

Human hair is going to be damaged by brushing and heat no matter what, but past 150 degrees Celsius the damage becomes irreversible and more noticeable, so by keeping airflow temperature in the optimal safe zone and instead upping the airflow pressure the Dyson Supersonic is able to prevent this.

There are three heat settings and three airflow power settings to choose from, and they’re all found on the back of the dryer, with temperature settings on the left and fan speed on the right.

Though the buttons are small, neat, pleasant to press and look good here, their placing is slightly less convenient than on the BaByliss Turbo Power 2200 dryer. On the BaByliss the corresponding buttons are found on the handle, where it’s fast to switch between different modes using your thumb; on the Dyson we found we had to use both hands and look at the device to be absolutely certain which setting we were on.

This isn’t a problem if you’re inclined to keep to the same setting the entire time you’re drying your hair, but if you like to change settings as you go for more engaged styling then it’s not ideal.

The power and cool air buttons, however, were much more conveniently positioned, on the handle and within easy thumb reach.

Performance

When we timed how long it took both the Supersonic and the BaByliss Turbo Power 2200 to dry lightly towel-dried shoulder-length hair using a paddle brush and the standard wide nozzle attachment there wasn’t actually a very big difference.

Both dryers did the job they were supposed to in around eight or nine minutes, with the Supersonic having the edge by perhaps a minute or two; so the more expensive device won’t greatly expedite your routine if that’s what you’re hoping for.

There’s a notable difference, however, in how the Supersonic uses those eight or nine minutes. The Dyson’s airflow was significantly more powerful and focused, while its temperature never felt uncomfortably warm. With the BaByliss Turbo Power 2200, however, the airflow was notably weaker, while the temperature was much higher and actually became warmer over time.

Perhaps as a result of this there was also a difference in how hair looked and felt afterwards. After using the Dyson Supersonic we noticed that the hair was smoother, and slightly less prone to static and frizz, which actually reduced overall styling time when it came to applying straightening irons.

Obviously we couldn’t measure the damage done to the hair, as that’s something that will have to be established over a longer period, but immediately smoother hair is a promising start.

Another well-considered feature is the Supersonic’s attachments. The attachments themselves are the usual suspects: a standard wide nozzle, a narrower nozzle for smoothing and a wide diffuser for curly hair. It’s the fact that they attach magnetically which makes them interesting.

Magnetizing the dryer’s attachments is a simple design change, but it makes fitting and removing them a much smoother process. The also have solid lips on their edges through which the hot air doesn’t blow, and as a result remain cool, which makes changing the attachment a more comfortable process.

One of the most attractive claims of the Dyson Supersonic is that it’s quieter than other hair dryers. There are few sounds more irritating than the sound of a standard hair dryer, which somehow manages to combine the aural irritations of a nagging whine and a deafening roar.

Because of its more efficient motor, which has 13 blades rather than the standard 11, and its place in the handle, the Supersonic is indeed quieter; but make no mistake, it’s far from silent, and using it in the morning beside a sleeping partner was still not welcomed.

It is, however, a cleaner sound at a much more pleasant pitch, and one which you can at least hold a conversation over. It’s also noticeable that when you turn the Supersonic off the sound of the motor stops immediately, which is much more appealing than the wheezing winding-down sound the BaByliss Turbo Power 2200 emitted when we gave it a break.

Verdict

Overall, the Dyson Supersonic is an excellent product. In a time when it feels like the only way companies can think of to improve on seemingly ‘complete’ products is by throwing a companion app at them, it’s a refreshing example of how advancements in engineering and technology can still be used to improve something which many of us hadn’t even thought needed changing.

But that last point is also the main sticking point here.

The Dyson Supersonic is an extremely expensive product – it’s around two to three times more expensive than even professional-grade hair dryers. That’s a lot of money to pay for something that realistically time can do for free, and a less expensive hair dryer can do with admittedly less kindness to your hair but just as quickly.

With the Supersonic, suddenly our hair dryer morphed from a bulky and highly-replaceable item that we didn’t feel a great deal of responsibility towards into another high-end piece of tech to worry about.

Although its design and performance are a huge improvement on the standard hair dryer, they're improvements on a product that arguably does its job just fine, pushing the Supersonic firmly into the category of ‘expensive luxury’ rather than necessity.

If you have disposable income and you want the best hair dryer money can buy, or if you style hair professionally, we can highly recommend the Dyson Supersonic. However, for many people – ourselves included – £300 is a price point that’s difficult to justify for performance improvements that are certainly worthwhile but far from essential.

Update: Our Google Glass review has been updated to note that it ceased production in 2015. But Google's the novel head-worn computer experiment may live on in a foldable Enterprise Edition one day. In the meantime, consumers can check out Snap Spectacles for similar camera-based features and a much cooler look. The original Google Glass review is below.

Google Glass is the controversial wearable that had its sci-looking beta testers turning heads and being peppered with questions. How does it work? What does it feel like? And, of course the inevitable, well, can I try it?

The increasing number of Google Glass invites has led to Project Glass being open to everyone in the US and now the UK, so curious, tech-savvy early adopters can answer most of these questions on their own.

It's a little easier for them to say "yes" to Glass now that it's been upgraded with more memory and new apps. There's a speedier 2GB of RAM on board instead of 1GB and 12 new apps including Shazam and Live Stream. The Google Glass app list is officially over the 50 apps threshold and the most recent update puts all Android notifications in the top right corner of your eye.

But there's one query all prospective Glass owners all struggling with right now at checkout, and it's a question I get all of the time: is Google Glass worth it?

To answer that burning question, I turned a critical eye to Google's wearable computer and tested its Explorer Edition of Google Glass for eleven months. I also upgraded to the brand new 2GB model.

With the sound of my voice, I took hands-free photos by saying "Okay Glass, take a picture." I instructed it to upload the resulting point-of-view image to Twitter and Facebook and attached a caption, all with voice commands.

I saw flight information automatically beam to my eye with a gentle Google Now reminder the day before traveling. The weather for both my departure and destination cities, and directions to the airport were already being provided by this instinctual software. All of this data appeared in the top right corner of my vision, all without the need to take out my smartphone.

It's a surreal experience at first

Google has continued to make the complicated ownership decision easier by adding more to its Explorer Edition heads-up display. In addition to the new 2GB version, an update late last year saw a tweaked form factor that made prescription glasses compatible with attachable frames.

Google has even been throwing in a free pair of frames or premium shades with all new orders since mid-April. Moreover, new apps and updates to the linear operating system that weren't available at launch make the current Google Glass Explorer Edition a tempting buy.

Still, this new Project Glass model is better at addition than subtraction. While features have been added, the price hasn't dropped. At $1,500 (£1,000, about AU$1,589), Google's experimental wearable is exorbitantly priced for the average person. It's also best if you're an Android, not an Apple person.

This is what users see when wearing Google Glass

Compatibility with the iPhone has improved thanks to the launch of an iOS MyGlass app and the ability to read text messages, but it stops short of tapping into Glass' hands-free SMS response capabilities. Maps navigation also requires MyGlass to be open on the iPhone, not in the background. All of these features are missing for Windows Phone 8 users entirely, though technically any Bluetooth phone can offer Glass tethered data with a personal hotspot enabled.

Google Glass is very much a prototype, even after more than 20 months of being in the hands and on the faces of tens of thousands of beta testers.

But that's partly why this out-of-reach, futuristic-looking curiosity is so fascinating, despite, or possibly because of the massive cost to your Google Wallet (that's actually how you have to pay for Google Glass). Peoples' mind=blown reaction, more so than snapping photos hands-free and getting directions that turn with your head, makes whomever is donning Google Glass a walking wonder.

It became an attraction of its own at Disneyland

How to get Google Glass

Google undoubtedly wanted Glass in the hands of developers who will make the experience better, more so than curious individuals who want it for personal use. Therefore, developers were the first to qualify for Google Glass invites.

Now it's for sale to anyone living in the US and UK. Google threw Project Glass into open enrollment for 24 hours on April 15 and then permanently made it available a month later. Good things come to those who wait, too. All new Google Glass models come with free frames for prescription glasses or a free sunglasses shade attachment that typically costs $225 (£175, about AU$239).

Signing up for the normal Google Glass waitlist in June of 2013 after Google IO gave me access to an Explorer Edition beta code in November, while my friend who registered in December received an invite less than three weeks later. That alone shows how much easier it became to receive an invitation.

Strict rules still limit who can ultimately take advantage of the invite code and purchase a prototype. For example, you must be 18 years old and a US or UK resident, so adults living in the other parts of Europe or Australia aren't eligible. These age and country-specific rules are still in place.

The unboxing at my fitting appointment

The fit

Google Glass now ships to US and UK addresses, though the company still encourages beta testers to pick it up in person at its New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles offices. In the UK, "base camp" is in King's Cross, London. But across the pond in LA, specifically Venice Beach, is where I went for my "fitting experience" with a friendly Glass guide named Frank.

The Google employee helped with my Google Glass unboxing, adjusted the nose pads, tweaked the delicate nose stems and shaped the malleable titanium head band until it didn't sit so crooked on my face.

Within ten minutes it looked perfect, or at least as perfect as one can appear with a wearable computer sitting on their face.

Google makes sure Glass fits you just right

The look

Though pliable, the titanium head band remains durable as it stretches from ear to ear. It runs alongside a plastic casing that hides Glass' key components and gives it an overall clean look. This subtle style makes the exposed parts like the camera lens in the front stand out even more - for better or worse.

Everyone's attention is also immediately drawn to the adjacent cube-shaped glass prism that sits above the right eye. It has an acceptable 640 x 360 resolution and hangs just out of the way of the wearer's line of sight. For the wearer, this personalized display acts as a much bigger screen, one that's equivalent to a 25-inch HDTV sitting eight feet away.

Too big to carry in a pocket

The Google Glass dimensions are 5.25-inches at its widest point and 8-inches at its longest point. It's too long and wide to fit into my pocket, even though I've been able to carry a Nexus 7 tablet in my jeans' back pocket with a little squeeze.

Society has banned fanny packs and the titanium head band doesn't collapse, so storage options are limited. When out and about it's either on my face or in the complementary case, which I stow in a backpack. There's no in-between.

Google Glass comes in five colors

The new Google Glass is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor, and the fact that it comes in the same colors doesn't help you tell them apart. The options are black, orange, gray, white and blue. Or, as the Glass guides insisted: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton and sky.

Charcoal and cotton, the two non-color colors, appear to be the most popular, as they were initially sold out when I first entered my invite code to buy Google Glass. Luckily, before my seven-day invite expired, both options became available and I chose white. The choice made online actually didn't matter until I got to the on-site appointment. I was given one last chance to switch colors during the moment of truth.

The battery bulges behind the ear

The glaring exception to Glass' svelte design is the battery that rests behind the right ear and juts out rather noticeably. It's too big, yet it's not big enough for a full day's charge. Battery performance did improve with the Android KitKat update in April, but more power from this energy-eating wearable is still a priority of Explorers.

Also prevalent among beta testers that I've talked to was Google Glass succumbing to summer heat. I experienced this problem first-hand on a hot, but not-too-hot day of horseback riding. Air bubbles began to distort the reflective mirror that caps the Glass prism.

Google was quick to replace this common defect. Stellar customer service

The good news is that Google was quick to the rescue, speedily shipping me a a new Google Glass unit and asking me to mail back the broken version. For a brief moment, I had $3,000 (£2,000) in my hands and awkwardly on my head. I didn't pass up the chance to foolishly wear both at once.

One of the best uses of Glass. I was the only one who got on-horse photos

The funny this is that horseback riding, with two hands occupied, was one of the most useful moment I've had as an Explorer. I was able to issue photo and video voice commands while properly holding onto the reigns and saddle. But my experience, and that of almost every other Explorer I've talked to recently, proves that Google Glass is still very much a gadget in beta.

The feel

Even with the bulkiness of the battery and durable frame, Google Glass is extremely lightweight and comfortable resting on my face. It weights just 42 grams (1.48 oz) and because everything, including the screen, is just out of my line of sight I often forget I'm wearing it.

Google Glass is surprisingly light

At first, Google Glass did give me slight headaches as I strained my right eye to focus on the tiny prism in the top right corner of my vision. The team at the Venice headquarters did forewarn me about temporary Google Glass headaches, instructing me not to use Glass for more than a few hours the first couple of days. It's incredibly unnatural to have just one eye focus on a screen while the other goes without use, but my eyes and brain adjusted to the phenomenon in a few days to the point where it's now intuitive.

Like a modern smartphone, there are few physical buttons and ports on Google Glass. That's because most of the interaction is done via a long 3.25-inch touchpad on the right side. Underneath the touchpad is a micro USB port for charging the device and on the top is a camera button that's great for quick snaps in noisy environments.

The power-on button is hidden near your temple

The most discreet button is tucked away on the inside on the touchpad and near the temple. Giving it a light press turns Google Glass on and powers up the all-important apps.

Fitting Google Glass to your face is a highly personalized experience. Same goes for setting up the software. Getting it on WiFi, pairing it with a smartphone and running through a handful of apps for the first time all occurred on-site at Google. There's a web-based tutorial for people who have Google Glass shipped, but the experience is better appreciated in person.

There, I finally understood why everyone wearing Google Glass constantly cranked their head up as if they have a nervous tick. The default wake up angle is 30 degrees. This head gesture is a touchpad-free way of turning the display back on each time it goes blank to conserve battery life.

Looking at a QR code sets up WiFi in a jiffy

Configuring WiFi for the first time proves easier with Google Glass than any other device I've owned, backing up its futuristic look with a "this is how it should've worked in the past" reaction.

Selecting a router name on the Google's in-office Chromebook Pixel, entering the password and staring at the automatically generated QR code got me connected to the internet within 10 seconds. The same setup on mobile devices usually requires entering the wrong password a bunch of times on a cramped keyboard. Luckily, an expensive Chromebook pixel isn't required to complete the task at home. The same functionality is available on the MyGlass website and matching Android and iOS apps.

Google Glass requires some extra work for iPhone

Tethering

Tethering Google Glass to a smartphone can be just as easy, even if that device is an iPhone. Google is eager to play well with others here, allowing Glass to pair with my iPhone 5S via Bluetooth. Of course AT&T, in its infinite wisdom, won't allow people clinging on to a grandfathered-in unlimited data plan to activate iPhone's personal hotspot setting, so it didn't work on my personal iPhone handset.

Google Glass screencasting on Android

For this reason, and because the voice-enabled SMS responses don't work even when Google Glass is successfully paired with an iPhone, I opted for the larger Samsung Galaxy Note 3. I wouldn't have had a way to respond to texts without it, and wouldn't have been able to get directions hands-free due to iPhone's navigation limitations. Glass can't initiate directions while an iPhone is in sleep mode.

Glass generally works better in step with the Android platform and Google Play's MyGlass app. The tighter integration makes for a smoother experience and has proved problematic for Apple's walled-garden.

Google Glass operating system

Google Glass is all about eliminating the all-too-common temptation to take your smartphone out of your pocket and look down at its infinitely distracting screen. So once I had data up-and-running, I launched into Glass' pre-installed features list and didn't look back down.

Keep an eye on the time when you're out

I was able to take my first hands-free photo by simply saying, "Okay Glass, take a picture." From here on out, I used the "Okay Glass" voice command to initiate all of the apps, whether my intention was to Google something, record a video or get turn-by-turn directions.

My first photo and all subsequent snaps land in the Google Glass XE 22 linear operating system, which is controlled by sliding forward and backward on the touchpad. The newer Android KitKat interface works the same exact way, only it's a little smoother thanks to a behind-the-scenes performance upgrade.

The Google Glass OS is similar to the card-based user interface that has worked its way into many of Google's product including the Google Now-inspired Android Wear smartwatches. The idea may need a redesign of its own pretty soon. At first, this content slideshow contained a handful of my previously taken photos, old searches, archived Hangout conversations and CNN Breaking News updates. I was generally able to find something within a few swipes.

A week later, sliding the touchpad back through the all of the built-up content became less fluid. Add to the fact that there's a nasty bug that resets you to the beginning of the timeline if you slide too quickly on a tethered device in screencast mode, and it's downright frustrating.

Google issued a Google Glass patch that bunches photos together to reduce this known clutter, but the timeline can still turn into a cumbersome mess.

There's not much point to this if you're not a developer

Connecting Google Glass to a computer through its micro USB port offers an imperfect remedy to offloading content. It's limited to exporting photos, and on a Mac, Glass doesn't show up as an external drive. OS X users are forced to open up iPhoto or the Image Capture to download their images. Windows 8.1 makes it considerably easier because it pops up as a connected drive.

There's not a whole lot of options outside of copying photos to your computer, unfortunately. Clearing non-photo content from the card-based timeline has to be done manually using Glass and rearranging or importing old files isn't possible. Developers can use the micro USB-to-PC connection to delve into code using the Android SDK, but that's not meant for the average user.

It reads the answer aloud too

It being a Google product, my second task was to I asked a question. "Okay Glass, what's the population of China?" It read back the answer as "1.351 billion as of 2012," data derived from the company's extensive Google Knowledge Graph. There's no anticipate functionality (or room to implement it on the tiny screen) that lays out the populations of India and the US in comparison. That feature, which I wrote about at the Google IO 2013 conference, is still reserved for computer and mobile-based searches.

Digging a little bit deeper to test the Google Knowledge Graph, I asked "How tall is Morgan Freeman?" which resulted in the computerized voice reading aloud "6' 2" (1.88 m)." The synthesized voice isn't as smooth as Morgan Freeman's natural oration, but it matches the one used for Google Maps directions on phones and tablets.

Remarkably, Google Glass doesn't contain a natural speaker to audibly transmit voice prompts that are the result of Googling questions, playing CNN videos and asking for directions. Instead, it vibrates behind the right ear through its Bone Conduction Transducer, a hearing aid technology that relays the information through the skull. Best of all, it's nearly inaudible to everyone else. The personalized viewing screen meets a personalized audio frequency with Google Glass.

Bone Conduction vibrates sound through your skull

There's no ordinary speaker to project sound from the device, but there is a microphone to pick up whatever the user says after delivering the "Okay, Glass" prompt. It enables Google Glass to act as the world's most expensive Bluetooth headset for hands-free phone calls and video calls. The sound quality isn't a problem - it's actually very clear - but asking it to "Make a call to..." followed by someone's name on your MyGlass contact list is limited.

Currently, the maximum number of contacts Google Glass supports by saying their name is ten. Initiating phone calls and sending messages to anyone outside of this favorites list requires tapping the touchpad to enter the often-overlooked manual "Okay Glass" menu, scrolling to the message, call or video call, and scrolling through your entire Google contacts list.

It's unfortunate that the quicker voice-controlled method of setting up conversations is capped at ten contacts. It's even more confusing, Google forces you to manually enter the "Okay Glass" menu to scroll through your greater contact list. There's no "Making a call to someone outside of your ten favorites" option at the end of the ten.

The microphone is also essential for transcribing messages: emails, text messages, Google Hangouts and adding photo captions on social networks. Sadly, sending texts is limited to Android phone tethering.

Its head-turning directions is really going to turn heads

Turn-by-turn directions via Google Maps isn't exclusive to Android devices anymore, but Apple only allows third-party app developers to initiate directions while the iPhone is awake. Having to exit from sleep mode every time you want to get directions negates the phone-free utopia Google Glass is driving toward. This inconvenience may still be worth it; Google's maps on Google Glass are more sophisticated than the still-hobbled Apple Maps on iOS devices if you don't own a car. It includes options for driving, walking and public transit routes whereas Apple's own maps do not.

Even more amazing in Google Maps for Glass is the fact that turning your head changes the map orientation in real-time. Left and right twists of the neck swing the stationary triangle indicator to the left and right. Google Maps with surreal head-tracking follows you every step of the way without the need to tap a compass button to orient your perspective on a map.

Glassware refers to Google Glass apps that developers create specifically for the wearable. It's modeled after the Google Play store and iTunes App Store, only the Glassware app list is less populated at just 64 apps, a very slow uptick from the 37 apps available seven months ago. Even Chromecast has more apps.

Ten of these 64 apps were created internally and Google Now is by far the most impressive Glass app. It's always located one swipe back from the "Okay Glass" home screen with contextual cards for information like the weather, sports teams I follow and directions to places I've recently searched for on Google.

Flight information automatically shows up a day in advance

Traveling anytime soon? Just like the Google Now Android and iOS app, this predictive software will dig through your email and bring up your flight information. Better yet, the weather will change, giving you the forecast to both the city that you're in now and the place you're about to go. Top that off with directions to the airport complete with the approximate travel time. It's all done automatically like you'd expect from a device from the future.

Forecasts for both cities can be accessed

As you'd expect, Gmail is here and it pings you whenever an important message hits your priority inbox, Google Music plays songs with a "Listen to..." voice command and YouTube gives you an audience for your 720p #throughglass videos. You can't actually explore the rest of YouTube, though. The same applies to the write-only Google+ application.

Google's more straight-to-the-point Compass app shows the four cardinal directions and their intermediate directions, and reads the degrees aloud with the tap of the touchpad. The Stopwatch and Start Timer apps would replace Siri as my favorite way to countdown my time-sensitive tasks if it could set the clock with voice commands. Siri still wins for now.

The aforementioned Hangouts app now supports sending photos in replies thanks to April's upgrade to Android KitKat. Visually being able to answer "What are you up to?" with more than just text via voice dictation makes Hangouts a better experience. After all, snapping photos is Glass' biggest draw.

Google Glass games have been theorized with plenty of augmented reality YouTube videos of what the gameplay from the first-person perspective. Google's own Mini Games app takes advantage of all of the tiny sensors onboard to do just that. Its five AR games involve balancing objects in the world in front of you, shooting clay targets in the distance and playing tennis anytime, anywhere.

Third-party Google Glassware

Big name developers have already gotten onboard with Google Glass. Social networking apps like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Path and now Foursquare are meant for sharing status updates, photos and videos to your timelines. Twitter and Google+ handle Google Glass best, pushing updates with a #throughglass hashtag, making photos from Explorers' first-person perspective easy to find.

The newest addition to the Google Glass app list includes Livestream and Shazam. Say "Okay Google, start broadcasting" and it'll will beam whatever you see to your video channel without delay. Curious about a song? The awkwardly phrased "Okay Glass, recognize this song" identifies the artist and title. These are smartphone app repeats, but Glass either gives you a neat new perspective or a hands-free way of searching.

Twitter messages end in with the unique throughglass hashtag

Evernote is now less than one button press away thanks to the voice-controlled Google Glass and IFTTT can automate everything in life including turning on WiFi-connected lights in an apartment without the need for an "easy button."

News gathering is also an act of the past with updates for CNN Breaking News, The New York Times, Mashable and Elle fashion. There was a Wall Street Journal app, but it has disappeared, a common occurrence among the budding Glassware app list. Explorers have hardly noticed.

Weather Alert, which is supposed to notify me of dangerous conditions, is one of the newest Glassware apps. In the end, I disabled all but CNN because apps, especially Mashable and Weather Alert, pinged me with too many unimportant alerts or false alarms to the point of annoyance. They need to work more like the iOS and Android Breaking News app that lets users dictate which stories are important to them.

CNN beams breaking news to your eye

Google Glass can also encourage lifestyle changes with sporty apps like Strava Cycling, Strava Run, Golfsight by Skydroid and the new LynxFit trainer. For the first time since carrying around a smartphone to aid my exercise routine, my two hands were suddenly free to grip my bike handles and not worry about checking a phone's screen to see how far along I was on my route. Food apps like AlltheCooks Recipes and KitchMe have the same effect. Washing your hands and cooking while reading the ingredients aloud without dirtying your phone is less messy with Google Glass.

World Lens translators words right before your eyes

Word Lens, now a Google owned company, is toward the end of the alphabetically listed Glassware app store, but it's one of the most impressive apps by a third-party developer. It can scan and visually translates words in English to and from Portuguese, German, Italian, French and Spanish. It can overlay words on top of an existing foreign-language stop sign or menu using Augmented Reality, just like the iOS and Android app by the developer. It's a little more uncanny when seen through Glass.

It overlays the translated word right onto the stop sign

Another useful Google Glass app offers closed captioning for real-life conversations. Before you call it creepy, keep in mind that Captioning for Glass is intended for deaf or hard of hearing. Conversations appear in the top right corner of the screen after saying the command "Okay Glass, recognize this." So far, it's an Android-only app, but could be extremely useful for people with disabilities.

Google Glass closed captioning could help hearing impaired

More Google Glass apps to come

Google opened up its Mirror API so that web-based services can take advantage of Glass and now there is a sneak peek at the all-important Google Glass SDK. Developers are still waiting to download the final version of this app-driving software, but there's no official release date for the development kit.

Even 50 Cent is investing in an app called Hang w/

A lot of developers are also bringing their apps from iOS and Android devices and making the experience more personal. Hang w/ is once such video streaming app and it happens to be backed by rapper 50 Cent. Its goal is to allow people to broadcast and narrate interesting moments in their lives or follow people who are doing just that. Celebrity involvement could make Google Glass' point-of-view concept and apps like this the next Twitter.

When the final GDK makes its way to everyday developers, I expect the card-based Glassware user interface to explode with too much content just like my Google Glass timeline. Google would be forced to categorize apps and implement a rating system, and that's a good problem to have. New apps are going to be what makes this device useful more than hardware tweaks. Glass owners are currently in a state that's akin to the first iPhone without the iTunes App Store.

The Google Glass camera shoots 5-megapixel photos equivalent to that of the iPhone 4 camera and each picture has a 2528 x 1856 resolution. To Google's credit, it took last-generation specs and made them useful again thanks to the camera's distinctive hands-free interface and, given the right lighting, terrific image quality.

There's a camera button you can manually press on top of the touchpad

There are three ways to take photos when that 21st-century Kodak moment strikes and your quickest method of capturing it is Google Glass. Precisely saying "Okay Glass, take a picture" (not "take a photo") snaps an image within the blink of an eye.

Believe it or not, the second way is by actually blinking your right eye. This recently added Wink feature is deemed as experimental by Google, so it also picks up your eye-shutting big yawns and sneezes for awkward, unexpected photos.

Glass captured the outdoor portions of Disneyland nicely

The third way to take a picture is by pressing the physical camera button at the top of the hardware. It's not as forward-thinking as talking to Google Glass, but it's ideal for noisy environments in which the otherwise strong microphone isn't a viable option.

All three methods allow you to bring up the viewfinder beforehand thanks to the update that arrived just prior Google IO 2014. Saying "OK Glass, show the viewfinder" brings up the four L-shaped corners and makes lining up the perfect shot even easier. Before this update, it was trial-and-error guess work.

Photos are saved to an internal 16GB flash drive of which 12GB is actually useable memory. The operating system controls the rest. This space doesn't fill up easily, as images are 1MB on average and are routinely synced with Google's cloud storage.

Syncing photos to a smartphone through the MyGlass app is also helpful, especially when you want to edit them before posting. As of September, even iOS users are in on the Photo Sync feature. Deleting photos en masse, however, doesn't work without plugging Glass into a computer via its USB cable. It's a feature I'd like to see in the future.

Sunsets make great Google Glass photos when there's no direct sunlight

Best Google Glass photos

Sunsets, friends' portraits and first-person snaps of everyday life offer the best photo results and make the camera the most rewarding Google Glass feature. Each one comes with a laundry list of caveats, though. Sunsets need to be bright, but not so bright that direct sunlight whites out the entire image.

Portraits need to be well-lit and your antsy friends can't be moving - at all. "Everyday life photos" should be read literally with an emphasis on day, and the subject needs to be close because there's no zoom function or cropping tool.

There's no crop or zoom to put this big dog into better context

Google Glass' inability to crop and zoom either when the picture is taken or post-snap is one of the biggest disadvantages to its 100% hands-off approach to photography. I didn't miss the opportunity to take a photo of an abnormally large dog on the sidewalk thanks to Glass, but I conversely couldn't put it into a better perspective before sharing it to Facebook sans a cropping tool. That large, distracting electrical box in the periphery remains.

Most #throughglass photos are admirably untouched, a rarity in the age of Instagram. Still, basic editing functionality by beaming a photo over to a smartphone or tablet before uploading it to the world would have been valued. Google+ does a nice job with Auto Enhanced photos with a few tricks.

The TechRadar party was a blast, but Glass' low-light performance isn't

An LED flash and better low-light performance is another obvious Google Glass feature that's sorely missing from the prototype. Taking photos and video in dimly lit environments is almost a non-starter, cutting down on the fun you can have with it in conjunction with nightlife scenarios.

With just the right amount of light, the results are vastly better

More sophisticated camera software could improve Glass in the future, but given the Nexus 5 camera problems, it might not be high on the Google's priority list when it should be No. 1.

Google Glass video

Google Glass also takes high-resolution video with all footage at a fairly steady 720p resolution. The camera's video performance mirrors its still image quality: it lives and dies by lighting and, if the right conditions are in place, provides a unique window to explore your everyday life.

This is exactly what happened when I filmed my too-often-repeated airport security line routine through the first-person perspective. Ever wonder what it's like to go through a luggage X-ray machine? Glass shed some light on the not-too-crazy-looking experience #throughglass. It also proved that airport security is way too frantic of an operation and that an indoor, well-lit airport environment is the best format for a Google Glass video.

The quality took a hit when I attempted to film rides at Disneyland. Without proper illumination on rides, it failed to capture the excitement of the theme park indoors and as soon as the sun set, the outdoor video and photo quality took a major dive along with the, by then, exhausted battery.

Google Glass' video capabilities could get you kicked out

Google Glass filming privacy

The Google Glass POV camera perspective is the most fulfilling feature, but it's also the reason the wearable is seen as being so invasive. It's always pointing forward at people and it often elicits a half-joking, half serious, "Are you filming me right now?"

Privacy concerned individuals are usually overreacting. Still, it's an accusation every Glass user has to expect. Casinos, clubs, and a handful of restaurants and bar have unceremoniously banned the prototype even before it's readily available. Google went as far as posting nine tips on how not to be a Glasshole.

Google+ Auto Backup, effects

Google+ automatically saves photos and video through the social network's Auto Backup feature. It syncs to a private online album when Google Glass is plugged into a charger and it's within WiFi range. It's essential to meet these two conditions if Auto Backup isn't working, a complaint echoed through Google's private forums for Glass users. When it does function properly, it has some extra surprises that are worth checking out.

Google Auto Awesome added snow to a Christmas-timed photo

Select pictures are automatically enhanced with Google+ photo editing software, panoramas are stitched together right away and animated GIFs are already moving about before you say action. During the holidays, twinkle and snow effects were routinely added to photos - although it didn't look right in a lot of cases. Luckily, all Google+ enhancements are saved as a copy of the original photo in the Auto Backup folder and never shared without your permission.

New Explorers receiving Google Glass 2 as opposed to the older Google Glass are treated to a slightly different set of accessories than what the first beta testers received at the prototype's launch.

Don't feel badly for the earliest of early adopters, though. Google allowed them to upgrade to the new version of Glass for free until February 5 and all accessories are available to buy separately for a price.

A mono earbud comes with Google Glass 2

New Google Glass 2 accessories

Adding to the black-and-white box is a mono earbud, enabling better sound quality when making phone calls, listening to music and watching videos. Its comfortable in-ear design features a tiny forward-facing speaker that pipes sound straight into your ear canal the same way that Apple's EarPods do. Only its nylon-coated cable is much shorter at just 3-inches and it includes a micro USB connection at the end, not a standard RCA jack. Glass won't work with all of the normal aux cables, negating the 3.5mm vs 2.5mm debate altogether.

The mono earbud fits into the same micro USB port that's located underneath the touchpad and is used to charge Glass. Its 3-inch cable size can be adjusted by retracting it into a loop behind the ear so that there's as little as 1 ½-inches of cord dangling between the earpiece and port. The twist-off cap color that's included in the box is cotton (white). Buying an extra mono earbud comes with five interchangeable caps that match each of the Google Glass colors, but it's prohibitively expensive at $50 (£40, about AU$53).

Stereo earbuds are sold separately and are expensive

The same can be said about the even pricier stereo earbuds, not included with Glass, that are $85 (£65, about AU$90). Because stereo earbuds with auxiliary ends won't work and would be too long, these form-fitting earbuds are the best way to completely encapsulate yourself in the Google Glass experience and you're definitely going to be separated from the rest of the world with two nylon cords running out of the micro USB port. The left ear cable extends further than the right one and lays behind the neck, making you look even more like a cyborg at this point.

RoboCop or Terminator?

The included mono earbud and separate stereo earbuds are new as of late October 2013. They join the existing sunglasses, tweaked for Google Glass 2, that securely lock into place between the two nose stems. These active shades effectively block all sunlight emanating from the real world around you. Peripheral light is only visible when looking out of the corners of your eyes, but your field of view is completely dimmed, including the still-very-visible Glass prism.

The question is what do you do with these almost flat-looking clip-on shades when they're not needed or you don't want to look like Robocop for a minute. They can be tucked away in an included micro-fiber slip case, but that's another accessory to always carry around.

Returning accessories

All accessories are high quality, like this Japanese micro-fiber case

The same high-quality material is used in the indispensible pouch. It's Japanese micro-fiber and made from recycled material, according to Google. This soft bag fits Glass perfectly, cleans it when it's slide inside and contains a hard shell at the bottom to protect keep the prism. It's thankfully included. Ordering an extra pouch is $50 (£40, about AU$53) and may be the one thing in Google's accessory store that's worth its price.

Even the charger has cool features

Glass comes with an excellent micro USB cable and charger that features a flat cord to keep it from bunching and tangling. Its micro USB end is at a unique right angle, which stabilizes Google Glass on a flat surface. Better yet, it sports a two-tone black-and-white color scheme at each end. Explorers can easily distinguish the orientation of USB and micro USB's non-symmetrical design.

You won't be trying to fit the USB cable into the charger backwards thanks to Google's smart design idea. But you also won't want another one. The price for an extra is $50 (£40, about AU$53), which verges on double gold-plated HDMI cable territory. It's just a micro USB cable and charging block.

Normal micro USB chargers, used by Android devices, work just fine too. Google even notes that while Glass is designed and tested with the included charger, there are thousands of micro USB chargers out there that do the same basic thing.

The clear shield doesn't come with Google Glass 2

Missing from the Google Glass 2 accessories lineup is the clear shield that came with the first prototype. It works just like the clip-on sunglasses minus the tinted lenses and makes you look like you're ready for weed whacking in the front lawn rather instead of a law enforcement from the fighter. They're still available to purchase separately for $85 (£60, about AU$90).

Google Glass Explorer Edition is one of the most expensive gadgets from the Mountain View company, beating out its premium Chromebook Pixel laptop with an LTE chip included. You could buy five HP Chromebook 11 laptops instead and still have money left over.

Google Glass costs HOW MUCH?

It costs $1,500 (£1,000, AU$1,593) plus tax for this imperfect prototype. But that's not the total price for most beta testers. In California, the with-tax price equates to an especially painful $1,635. The Google Glass UK price includes the VAT, just like other items the Google Play Store sells.

Even though Explorers are paying top dollar, the specs are remarkably limited. Its has a dual-core OMAP 4430 chip that's really a 2011-era mobile processor designed by Texas Instruments. Most Google Glass models have 1GB of RAM, though the specs have been upgraded to 2GB of RAM for new orders

Analysts have pegged the bill of materials to be under $200 (about £120, AU$212), meaning the gross margin is $1,300 (£880, about AU$1,381) on each Google Glass sale. That doesn't take into account Google's expenses like R&D and marketing, so the actual profit is likely a lot less. After all, someone has to pay all of those Glass guides running through the one-on-one fitting appointments every day and the free domestic or imported beer that they offer you during the visit.

Google Glass handed to me in pristine condition

Warranty

Some of that money also goes to shore up the Google Glass warranty. Meant to cover defects in materials and workmanship, this limited one-year warranty is surprisingly long and reassuring given Glass' prototype nature.

Of course, the warranty doesn't include accidents, fires, software modifications and just about every other your-fault incident you can think of. Reselling Google Glass voids this guarantee just the same.

Each Google Glass comes with a limited one-year warranty

The high price of Google Glass didn't just have an impact on my Google Wallet, it made me constantly afraid of losing it or, worse, having it stolen. I'm always more anxious when wearing it in public due to its value. Not-so-funny comments like "Hey, is that Google Glass? Meet me in the back alley. Ha!" made me think twice about taking it everywhere.

As much as I wanted to capture New Year's Eve fireworks a few months ago in the city of Philadelphia, I decided against wearing Google Glass downtown. It actually helps that a majority of people I run into don't know what Glass is right now, but you can never be too careful.

There are ways to try to recover a lost or stolen Google Glass. The MyGlass website and app reports the last device location every few minutes, but it needs to either be logged into WiFi or be paired with a Bluetooth phone to do so. That makes it ineffective compared to Find my iPhone and Android Device Manager.

Price drop theories

Price is the biggest hurdle for beta-only Google Glass right now, as the Explorer Edition costs more than seven times as much as an iPhone 5S and five times as much as a Galaxy Note 3 with a two-year contract in the US. It doesn't adequately replace these devices either. In fact, it can't. It's a slave to their shared Bluetooth data when you're away from a WiFi connection.

Google Glass for consumers could roll out with a significantly cheaper

There could be a price drop in the future, as the parts don't actually cost Google anywhere near what it's charging. The Google Glass consumer price could be dramatically cheaper, spurring everyone to get one even if they're unsure of its feasibility. Google's decision to make Chromecast inexpensive had that same "add to shopping cart" effect.

Existing beta testers are paying through the nose pads right now, but that could be because Google doesn't want everyone to own Glass just yet. It needs developers to make great apps first. Without apps, if the price as low as it could be, the general public would pick up the device and immediately put it down. It would instantly be ahead of its time.

Explorer Edition owners, who paid a premium and helped develop the foundation of Glass, have floated the idea of receiving the likely more affordable Google Glass consumer edition for free. The idea is that their theoretical free Google Glass explains the steep price. It's built in. But that may just be Explorers' hopeful thinking.

Everyone may find out the final price of the consumer version come this week when Google IO 2014 is expected to host an on-stage update about Google's other wearable that isn't Android Wear.

Google's official estimate for the Glass' battery life is "one day of typical use." Features like video recording, however can drain the battery even more quickly, the company warns.

The battery bulges out in back, yet battery life is awful

Avoiding these more intensive features, I found my Google Glass battery to last between three and five hours depending on how many hands-free photos I was taking in that time span. Recording a video wiped the battery out in less than an hour after continuously shooting.

That's far short of the official estimate, but keep in mind that there's a tremendous difference between being connected to WiFi vs Bluetooth via a tethered smartphone. Relying on a phone's shared LTE data connection drained my battery more quickly.

Get used to this screen. The battery drains in just a few hours

Google Glass also ran much hotter over Bluetooth, something that was pointed out to me every time I demoed Google Glass to a large group. Typically, this observation was noticed by the time it was passed to the last person to wear it.

Teardown specs indicate that Google Glass contains a puny 570 mAh lithium-polymer battery, even with its larger-than-desired battery size located behind the right ear. Luckily, the small battery size means that it doesn't take exceptionally long to charge, with less than two hours giving me a complete 100% battery life to drain it all over again.

Google Glass and high-capacity battery packs go hands-free-in-hand

To conserve battery life as much as humanly or cyborgly possible, I turned off head wake up, on-head detection and Wink for picture. I also carried around an external high-capacity battery pack in my pocket with a USB cable running to the micro USB port. I don't suggest this look.

Google Glass is more fun than functional primarily because of the reaction derived from donning a wearable computer in public. Onlookers' curious and questioners' amazement always turns into a flood of ways they think Glass can be used in the future. Becoming an Explorer within the first year, I have had to constantly answer questions, but that's part of the fun. Explaining gadgets to people is why I became a technology journalist in the first place.

Getting more attention than Mickey Mouse at Disneyland

Peoples' fascination certainly kept me occupied in lines at Disneyland, where they wanted to know more about Google Glass, take a photo, wear it themselves and take another photo. Only a handful of people knew a little bit about it, often mistakenly saying, "There's those Google Glasses!" even though there's only one glass involved. A majority of the people had no idea, timidly asking "Can I ask you about the glass on your face?"

I was able to test if Google Glass is waterproof, or at least water resistant, at Disneyland's log flume ride, Splash Mountain. It survived my drenched-in-water decision to sit in the front row, though I wisely slipped it into the micro-fiber case to dry it off immediately after the final hill. Google doesn't recommend letting liquids near the internal components, especially the battery, though Robert Scoble has proven that it can be worn in the shower without incident.

Note to self: delete others' search history

The reaction at CES 2014 was a little more muted considering all of the extravagant technology at the week-long Las Vegas conference. But I still had to field questions and tell people, no, they couldn't pick it up in the South Hall. It's still beta-only, but should be out later this year.

Not-so-fun reactions

Peoples' trepidation of Google Glass can sometimes sap some of the fun out wearing it or create wearable gadget faux pas that didn't exist before, as it did twice as CES. Its so lightweight that I often times forgot I was wearing it, including an exceptionally awkward moment when I entered a public bathroom. I wondered why I was receiving bizarre stares up until I went to wash my hands and looked in the mirror.

Remember to take off Google Glass before going into a bathroom

Public bathrooms are not Glass friendly for obvious reasons, and that's where putting it away in the case and the case inside a bag becomes cumbersome.

The second incident occurred at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, where I was walking on the outskirts of the casino strictly because I was making my way back to my hotel after a long day at CES. Moving rather quickly - not stopping - with a group of fellow tech journalists, I was approached by a panicked security guard who shouted "Sir! Sir! No Google Glass in the casino."

I took off Google Glass without protest, but found it strange considering I had a giant Canon T3i DSLR that can shoot 1080p video hanging from my neck and sitting at chest level. It didn't matter to him that I had it pointed at the casino the entire time or that most everyone I was walking with had similar recording tech on them.

It's a distraction. Luckily, we only hit a recycling bin

Wearing Google Glass while driving has been the subject of court cases, and even when it's not on, the new technology is still in murky legal territory. People have reportedly gotten kicked out, banned or harassed for wearing it. The only way to overcome peoples' Google Glass fear is through wider adoption. Remember when cell phones with cameras were routinely banned at concerts venues?

Glasses wearers are no longer at a myopic disadvantage now that Google Glass prescription lenses and frames have officially been made available after an annoying 11-month wait.

Tech's smartest-looking early adopters can finally experience Google Glass while still being able to see the world in front of them. Nearsighted or farsighted, it doesn't matter. They can see through Google's wearable computer by looking up into the top right corner of their vision, and then see near and far by peering through specialized glasses.

All four styles exhibit the Peter Parker effect: now you know why I got LASIK

Even better, the glasses attachment gives the device a less offending, more natural look and style. That's due in part to the four attractive Google Glass frames on sale: Curve, Bold Split and Thin. Of course, corrected vision comes at a price.

These compatible premium frames are currently free with new Google Glass orders, but normally cost $225 (£175, AU$239). A Google employee in Los Angeles said he didn't think the free frames deal would last very long.

Of course the glasses frames with false lenses, which means there's still the unfortunate extra step and cost of visiting an eyecare provider in order to have the specialized prescription lenses cut to size. It's still not easy having imperfect vision while looking like you're living in the future.

It's certainly better than attempting to wear Google Glass overtop of prescription glasses. It just doesn't work in most cases that I have tested out. Existing frames are usually too big to properly fit underneath of the Glass hardware and ultimately feel too uncomfortable to stand for more than a minute. It's also extra bizarre looking to walk around with Google Glass on top of crooked glasses.

Without the new prescription lenses, Google Glass can still be tested by nearsighted individuals because they can see everything on the prism that sits two inches from their right eye. But day-to-day use isn't feasible because the myopia suffers won't be able to get very far without their normal glasses.

It doesn't work well with existing glasses

Other manufacturers did beat Google to the market with unofficial Google Glass prescription lenses and frames. Rochester Optical was the first company to do just that as it rolls out its clip-on product, RO Gold for Google Glass. It began shipping at the start of the year for the lense price of $99 (about £59, AU$105) and the separate clip price of $129 (about £77, AU$137).

Whether you order the official Google Glass prescription lenses or opt for the cheaper Rochester Optical solution, it's essential for nearsighted or farsighted glasses wearers to find corrective lenses that work before joining and really enjoying the Explorer program.

Google Glass was expected to have a "consumer version" release this year, but there was no official announcement timed with the Google IO 2014 developer conference in June or since then.

"[In 2014], I want to have a broad consumer offering," said co-founder Sergey Brin to Bloomberg two years ago. Maybe the fact that Glass is now available in the Google Play Store counts as that consumer offering?

Either way, what's next for Google Glass? More than any single upgrade to its tech specs, significantly dropping the retail edition's price would put it on more faces, even some of the skeptical ones.

That's certainly feasible, as a number of analysts have calculated Google Glass' bill of materials to be less than $200 (about £120, AU$212) based on the known components.

Open up: Google Glass availability needs to extend beyond the US and UK

Naturally, now that the invite-only process has ended in favor of open enrollment in the US and UK, the next step is to make Google Glass available worldwide, including Explorer-deprived regions like Continental Europe and Australia.

The Google Glass consumer version is likely to contain a bigger battery, even though Google is going to struggle with the bigger form factor resting behind the ear. It's already big enough at 570 mAh.

The camera, while adequate at 5 megapixels, is also a desired upgrade for the retail version. It's one of the most used features of Google Glass, as demonstrated by all of the fun-to-look-at #throughglass photos on Twitter. I still prefer to use my iPhone 6 or Nexus 6 for pictures when it matters, especially in low-light situations. Google Glass is only used for novelty and convenience purposes.

At Google, everyone was wearing Glass

The number of Glassware apps is going to naturally increase in the future. Its current count of 64 is just the beginning, and augmented reality games could have a really big impact on Google Glass in 2014. Further out, it could better connect with the company's broadening ecosystem, possibly integrating with Chromecast for screencasting photos and video, or the newly released Android Wear smartwatches like Moto 360 and LG G Watch R.

Google hasn't laid out an official timeline for the public version of its trendsetting wearable, but with Google Glass competitors launching over the next several months, it may fast track the release date and scope. We expect to hear more on or before the Google IO 2015 keynote, hopefully with a consumer version introduction that's as grandiose as 2012's skydiving entrance.

Google Glass in its current prototype form is an unfinished trailblazing avant-garde piece of tech. I had a hard time wrapping my brain around. I worried about whether I'd be able to tell if it was really the next big thing or a huge waste of time and money.

Glass sure wrapped itself around my brain though, and with considerable comfort. I was able to test it easily in my everyday life and that's what Google Glass is all about: putting one's smartphone down, yet still being able to share pieces of your life with your friends and family through a unique first-person perspective.

Google Glass is comfortable, even if it make you look like a cyborg

We liked

The excitement surrounding Google Glass made wearing the invite-only prototype a thrill, but you have to be the right sort of technology-loving visionary to benefit from people's curiosity. I couldn't go a day without a half dozen people asking me about it. Explorers should expect the same.

In between all of the welcomed questions, I found taking hands-free photos, uploading them to Facebook and Twitter and adding captions with my voice to be the most entertaining part. Receiving and replying to work-related Hangout messages while cooking dinner and then getting walking directions at the spread-out CES 2014 venues made it productive.

Google Now is by far the best app of the 64 available with flight information, weather, and sports scores available based on what I've searched recently. I also habitually take advantage of being able to Google any question that pops into my brain, leaving no answer unknown with my smartphone still in my pocket

Google needs to focus on price, battery and camera

We didn't like

Using Google Glass doesn't always go as planned, especially when it comes to a full day of use. The battery life is abysmal and tethering to anything but an Android is less than satisfying. Text message replies and directions are sorely missed when using it with an iPhone.

The camera's low-light performance could be better and the microphone, while surprisingly strong, often took a couple of attempts to properly add captions in moderately noisy situations.

Price and privacy are two issues that are of concern right now. As a consumer, $1,500 (£1000, about AU$1,593) plus tax is too much to pay for most any gadget, especially one that's still in development. You do get offered beer during the Google Glass appointment, which helps ease the pain.

Glass guide and TechRadar reader Frank made the fitting a great experience

Final Verdict

There's nothing like Google Glass, so upon being "invited," I jumped at the chance to empty my Google Wallet for what my bank account poorly categorized as "Glass - Home Improvement." It did nothing for my home, but it did provide conversation-starting "improvement" in social settings outside of the house.

Its hands-free photo taking capabilities encouraged me to seek out more adventure that required two hands but still warranted capturing. I put down my smartphone for a record amount of time. Instead, I searched Google Now, used hands-free Google Maps navigation and responded to Gmail and texts through the built-in microphone.

The 5-megapixel camera isn't nearly as good as what you'll find on a current smartphone, especially the iPhone 5S and Galaxy Note 3, and the voice recognition software doesn't get everything entirely right. The battery life and price get everything wrong - one is too small, one is too big; it would be great if they switched.

Are you going to act on that Google Glass invite?

But when you think about it, Google Glass is the first of its kind - at least with a major company behind it. The first iPhone with its pre-installed apps and novel touchscreen had the same "is this worth it or just hype?" question surrounding when Apple launched it in 2007.

Owning Google Glass is even more reminiscent to a previous generations' owning the first TV on the block. No one has seen it in person before and everyone want to come over and try it out. The intense public interest is entertaining, but not worth the Explorer Edition price for most consumers.

It's still more fun than functional right now with the promise of becoming the next big thing.

First reviewed: January 2014

]]>Fitbit Flexhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/fitbit-flex-1124344/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/fitbit-flex-1124344/reviewOne of the cheapest Fitbit wristbands, the Flex wants to open up the fitness tracker to the masses.Fri, 27 Jan 2017 11:30:00 +0000techradar.comUpdate: The Fitbit Flex is now a little harder to come by as it has been replaced by the Fitbit Flex 2. We gave it three and a half out of five stars, but praised it for a comfortable, water resistant design as well as fun software.

Announced at CES back in 2013, the Fitbit Flex combines the step-counting technology that made its One and Zip products so useful, and places it on the wrist for convenience.

This big design change has some pretty big advantages. For a start, the fear of having the small sensor pop out from a pocket while walking is gone. With the wrist mounted option, you always know where the device is.

The second major benefit is for sleep-tracking. While the Fitbit One offered the ability to track sleep by slipping the sensor into a soft, velcro arm band, the Flex leaves the sensor permanently attached, allowing you to switch modes without removing the device at all.

In fact, thanks to a firmware update in December 2015, you no longer need to even switch sleep tracking on – it will do it for you automatically.

Fitbit Flex price and release date

Quite expensive at $99.95 (£79.99, AU$129.95)

The Fitbit Flex price did drop, but now it has jumped back up to the original cost

The Fitbit Flex was originally unveiled at the start of 2013 and since then we've even seen the release of the Fitbit Flex 2.

The Fitbit Flex price is $99.95 (£79.99, AU$129.95). Over Black Friday 2016 we also saw the price of the original Flex drop all the way down to $40 (£40, about AU$70). The price has now risen up again, but it may mean the Flex will soon appear in a sale again.

Unlike the Jawbone Up, the Flex consists of two separate parts - the sensor and the strap. The sensor itself is smaller than the One, thanks to the fact that it doesn't include an LED display.

Instead, five LED lights indicate the number of steps taken during a day, and are only activated by double tapping the device.

The rubber wristband is lightweight, but a little simplistic in its design. Unlike a watch strap or even a bracelet, the Flex uses a plastic grey latch to poke to plastic prongs into a series of holes on the band.

Getting the Flex closed the first time can be challenging, but it does quickly become second nature. It's not as comfortable or effortless as the Jawbone Up, but it is functional.

A whole range of colored straps are available for Flex users, which allows users to customise the look of the device to suit their own personality. And because the actual counter simply pops into the strap, you can chop and change, unlike the Jawbone devices.

The Flex strap has even opened up to third party designers, so you can now buy gold and silver bracelets from designers like Tory Burch.

These bracelets aren't exactly cheap – but they do have a certain elegance to them that no other wrist-bound fitness tracker is offering. They're also completely optional.

One other noteworthy aspect of the Flex band is the clear bar that sits above the LED lights in the actual tracker unit. This band allows you to view your progress while wearing the band.

But after a few weeks, that clear band was already showing signs of wear and tear, with scuffs and scratches, despite a blatant lack of gruelling conditions.

Of course, Fitbit offers a range of bands in a variety of colours, which might be a nice way (although expensive) to work around this problem.

Power to the people

One of the most immediate joys of using the Fitbit Flex over the Jawbone Up is the inclusion of Bluetooth 4.0 wireless syncing. Instead of having to manually remove the device and plug it into your phone to sync, the FitBit will periodically wake up and connect to your phone, keeping your stats up to date.

The catch is that at the moment, wireless syncing to mobile still only works with a very limited number of devices.

While device support has improved dramatically since our initial review, adding both flagship Android devices and the latest iPhones, it's still far from perfect.

We tried to pair the Flex with an Xperia Z2, and got wholeheartedly rejected. Then a couple of weeks later it just started working.

While this is currently a major frustration for Android users, there is good news on that front with Google announcing Bluetooth Smart support as part of the OS, which should theoretically give Bluetooth 4.0 syncing support to a much wider range of devices.

Support for the Flex has also arrived on Windows Phone 8.1 devices, which is welcome news for all the Live Tile lovers out there.

The tiny sensor slips inside the strap

The Flex does also come with a small USB dongle for syncing to Mac or PC. It works well, but is nowhere near as elegant a solution as the mobile syncing.

One thing that does work in the Flex's favour is battery life. Despite the inclusion of Bluetooth for wireless syncing, the Flex still managed to almost match the Jawbone Up for longevity when worn side by side.

While the Up can be pushed to 9 days of use - depending on how active you are - the Flex tended to last seven or eight days.

Sure, that's a step down, but the convenience of wireless syncing makes it all worthwhile. Especially given it also offers some kind of real time indication of your daily progress in the form of five LED lights, while the Up has nothing.

The question of accuracy

Like a high-tech hipster, we tested the Flex by wearing it on our weaker arm, with the Jawbone Up right alongside it. Despite the proximity of the two devices, the results were quite varied.

On the sleep front, the Jawbone was easily the stronger device. Nights spent getting up and down to unsettled children were accurately broken up by the Up as times awake, while the Fitbit app claimed that sleep was just a little unsettled.

But when it came to step counting, the devices offered such varied results that you had to wonder how they could both claim to count the same thing.

Side by side with the Jawbone Up

Without fail, the Flex reported a significantly higher number of steps taken than the Up. On a day where we conquered our 10,000 step goal on the Flex, the Up would bring us back to earth by reporting only 8,000 steps taken.

To test which of the two was more accurate, we physically walked 200 steps, counting as we went. Neither device tracked the steps 100 per cent accurately, although the Flex did come up slightly closer to the mark.

How that extrapolates to larger numbers is unclear, but there's a real question mark over the accuracy of the wrist-mounted device, which is something we didn't encounter with the pocket-mounted One or Flex.

Steps to 'appiness

Fitbit's app is easy enough to come to grips with for even the most novice of users, but does let you drill down into more and more layers of information.

That said, it still struggles with food tracking thanks to a lack of internationally localised cuisines, although that is something that can be worked around thanks to the third party app ecosystem and services like MyFitnessPal.

There have been some massive improvements over the past few months with the Fitbit app, allowing a much easier social connection to friends to allow you to harness that competitive edge.

Fitbit has also launched IFTTT compatibility, which will automate many functions and help improve the overall function of the device with very little effort.

Which goes back to the verdict we came to in our Jawbone Up review, that the Fitbit is a much more useful fitness tool, while the Up is a lifestyle tech accessory.

The Flex does start to veer to the accessory side of the fence with its design, but it's app keeps it firmly in the fitness tool category.

Verdict

The Fitbit ecosystem is a great way to start using technology to keep on top of your personal health.

While the Flex is starting to show its age a bit, like a fine wine it has actually improved with time. The fact it's now more affordable is also a welcome one.

There is still the question of accuracy, with high step counts seemingly too-easy to obtain thanks to inaccurate algorithms.

The wristband itself could also use a little more work. It's lightweight and comfortable, but looks more like the watchband on a kid's watch than a truly stylish piece of tech. Fitbit has addressed this with third party bands, but for most people they are a little too highly priced and opulent.

All that said though, Fitbit has shown the strengths of its platform. Wireless syncing is essential in this product lineup, and having a strong app ecosystem is a huge benefit to fitness trackers out there.

With the Charge, Charge HR and Surge all available now, the Flex is a great starting point for anyone looking to join the Fitbit market. But it's far from the company's best product.

]]>iRobot Roomba 980http://www.techradar.com/reviews/irobot-roomba-980
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/irobot-roomba-980An intelligent vacuum with area-mapping technology, the Roomba 980 is an advanced dirt terminator.Wed, 21 Dec 2016 05:28:39 +0000techradar.comThough most automated vacuum cleaners are happy to bounce around your rooms, bumping into furniture like a drunk sleepwalker, iRobot’s Roomba 980 is leading the pack in terms of vacuum intelligence.

Armed with a number of iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and iRobot’s proprietary visual simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (or vSLAM for short), the Roomba 980 impressed greatly when it was released in the US and UK late last year. Now, iRobot’s most advanced vacuum cleaner to date has finally arrived on Australian shores.

As packed as it is with high tech features, including newly-added iOS and Android app control and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Roomba 980’s increased functionality over previous models does bring with it a hefty price tag – one that may realistically make the unit inaccessible for many users (US$899 / £799.99 / AU$1499).

That said, we’re convinced that the iRobot Roomba 980 offers enough robotic wizardry and technological advancements to make it a viable purchase for those who can afford it, or an utterly magnificent gift that’ll likely make you the favourite son or daughter in your family.

The set up

Right out of the box, it’s possible to have the Roomba 980 up and running in a matter of minutes. Once you’ve plugged your Home Base docking station’s power cord into a wall socket, all you have to do is remove the battery pull tab and yellow bin insert from the Roomba’s undercarriage, press the clearly marked ‘Clean’ button in top of the unit, and your automated vacuum will start cleaning your home immediately.

Press the unit’s ‘Home’ button, and the Roomba 980 will stop everything and, in one of its most impressive acts of futuristic awesomeness, automatically guide itself over to its charging station like it’s following a homing beacon. It’ll also do this when it’s running low on battery or if its bin is full.

Appy days

Though this control method is already quite easy to manage, the Roomba 980 is also the first iRobot device that can be controlled via an iOS or Android app. Connecting the unit to the app is a cinch – the iRobot app will automatically detect your Wi-Fi network and ask if you want to connect your Roomba to it.

Next, type in the password to your Wi-Fi network and hit continue. Go to the unit and hold down the buttons with ‘Home’ and ‘Crosshair’ symbols on them until you hear a tone and the lights blink. Release the buttons and the ‘Wi-Fi’ indicator will flash to let you know it’s attempting to connect. Once the network setup is complete, you can now start and stop your Roomba 980 from your phone, schedule up to three cleaning times per day, and even adjust the device’s cleaning behaviour, such as whether you want it to automatically initiate carpet boost mode or perform edge cleaning duties.

It should be noted that issuing commands to the Roomba 980 from your smartphone or tablet isn’t an instantaneous affair. Actually, the vacuum performs sort of like a printer in this regard, sending queued requests that will sometimes take a few minutes to be recognised. At first, you may be tempted to repeatedly issue these commands in an attempt to get a response, but this will only add more jobs to your queue and get you further from your desired action.

Domo arigato, Mr. iRobot

The Roomba 980’s iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors allow it to move around and clean an entire floor of your house without crashing into things or dropping down stairs or ledges. It will still bump into walls and furniture, but in a way that’s ever so gentle.

Cleverly mapping your home’s layout as it cleans, iRobot’s vSLAM technology actually scans the environment around the Roomba 980 to memorise and create distinct visual landmarks. This helps it keep track of where it has already been, making clean up jobs more direct and efficient.

Instead of forcing its way through things, the Roomba 980 will hug itself along obstructions, including chair legs, bicycle wheels or any other solid object that’s touching the floor, inching around them until it’s cleaned as much uncovered floor space as possible.

At 35.05cm in diameter, the Roomba 980 is wider than your average vacuum head, but thanks to its circular design and rotating body, it’s able to manoeuver through narrower areas than you’d initially think were possible.

It’s pretty low to the ground, too, though at 9.14cm in height, there’s a chance it could be a little too tall to pass under some beds, which is the kind of hard-to-reach area that would be ideal for an automated vacuum such as this.

In the box, you’ll also find a pair of battery-operated Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers. As the name implies, these act as a virtual wall that will keep the Roomba from crossing certain areas. For instance, if you don’t want the Roomba to enter a particular room, you can place one of these barriers down by the entrance. These are also great for keeping the device away from your ground-level pet food bowls.

Ridin’ cleanly

The Roomba 980 works magnificently on floorboards, tiles and other hard surfaces (operating relatively quietly while doing so), but it actually kicks things up a notch when entering carpeted territory. Able to sense when it has rolled over carpet, the Roomba 980’s Gen 3 motor and AeroForce cleaning system will kick in to automatically increase its power by 10x in order to blow all dust and dirt that’s gathered in your rugs out of hiding.

On the Roomba 980’s undercarriage, you’ll find the same dual counter rotating extractors that were first introduced with the Roomba 800, and a spinning brush head with long bristles near the vacuum's to help clean corners and other places that a circular automated vacuum would generally find hard to reach. You might still find some missed dirt in these areas, but the bristles will still remove about as much junk from your corners as a regular, non-pointy vacuum head would.

It’s also able to climb over shallow steps, like the base of a cat scratching post, though it will occasionally spin out a little when rolling over cables. With that said, the Roomba will never actually get tangled in them or suck them up.

On a full charge, the Roomba 980 can clean for up to two hours, though it will return to its charging dock when its bin is full. This is indicated by a flashing red light situated on top of the vacuum just below the iRobot logo.

A large button on the front of the device lets you detach its bin, and though it looks quite small, it actually manages to squeeze a whole lot of dirt into its chamber. Under the bin, you’ll also be able to access the Roomba’s filter, which you can remove and shake clean at your leisure.

Verdict

As expensive as it is, there’s no denying that iRobot’s Roomba 980 is a gloriously advanced automated vacuum. With its environment mapping and self navigation, the latest Roomba never ceases to impress – watching it automatically guide itself back to its charging station is always a delight. Though its app is a little on the sluggish side, and it struggles slightly when rolling over cables, every part of the Roomba 980 experience exudes quality. If vacuums do become sentient one day, it’s likely that they’ll aspire to be just like this one.

]]>Syncwire 4-port USB wall chargerhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/syncwire-4-port-usb-wall-charger-1323280/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/syncwire-4-port-usb-wall-charger-1323280/reviewThis is an excellent and cost effective way to reduce four wall chargers down to one.Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:09:00 +0000techradar.comSociologists might say that this is the age of the social network but I disagree. This is the age of tangled wires and USB chargers. I have many, and if you're reading this review you probably do too.

The obvious solution for most people, though, is to buy a USB wall charger with multiple charging points. One such charger is the Syncwire 4-port USB charger plug we have here and we found it to be everything we were promised from the Amazon listing page.

The charger has two 2.4A sockets and two 1A sockets. The 2.4A ones are ideal for charging tablets like the iPad Air 2 or phones with bigger batteries like the Google Nexus 6P. The 1A plugs are there to look after smaller devices like an iPod or smaller Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini.

The device itself looks and feels solid. You wouldn't have a problem believing it cost double the current £12.99 asking price. USB cables fit into the ports snugly and the socket itself is small enough to comfortably sit on an extension cable with other devices plugged in either side.

The one minor complaint we have about this charger is that it does not support proprietary rapid charging technology such as Samsung's Fast Charge. Newer Samsung phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or the Galaxy Note 5 come with adaptive fast charging plugs that are able to switch to a 9V output in order to charge the batteries on certain devices a lot faster.

The Syncwire, along with every other third party USB charger plug we looked at, only outputs at 5V max. And that means if you buy one of these to replace an adaptive fast charger from Samsung, you won't be able to charge quite as fast as you otherwise would. It's still fast, but it's not quite as rapid.

Verdict

The Syncwire 4-port USB charger plug is cheap and effective. It does exactly what you ask of it and we'd happily recommend it to anyone looking to condense 4 separate charger plugs down into one. It's particularly helpful to anyone who travels a lot or wants to go on holiday with one plug socket instead of four.

]]>DJI Mavic Prohttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/dji-mavic-pro-1329469/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/dji-mavic-pro-1329469/reviewDJI's smallest drone ever is also its smartest with a new gesture control mode and beautifully portable design.Thu, 06 Oct 2016 13:21:00 +0000techradar.comWhen most people think of drones they usually imagine a big, scary, four-armed miniature helicopter. However, drone makers in 2016 have introduced smaller and more portable quad-copters, like the GoPro Karma and Yuneec Breeze.

Now DJI is introducing its smallest, smartest and most approachable drone yet, the Mavic Pro. With the ability to fold up into a water bottle-sized package and a starting price of $999 (£999, AU$1,689), this tiny drone comes priced right and with all the smart features of DJI's other models – plus a few new ones to boot.

Design

Measuring 3.27 x 7.8 x 3.27 inches (83 x 198 x 83mm; W x D x H) when folded up, the Mavic Pro looks downright adorable and has nearly the same size as a water bottle. DJI has also come up with a new ultralight and aerodynamic airframe that weighs only 743g.

Compared to DJI's past drones, it's teeny at half the size and weight of the company's flagship Phantom 4. The Mavic Pro is the first DJI drone small enough to be thrown into a backpack or purse rather than a special hard pack specifically designed for it.

This is all thanks to a new folding design in which the two front arms swing back while the rear limbs flip down and towards the quadcopter's main body. Despite rotors being attached to articulating elements, the Mavic Pro feels solid. It takes a fair bit of force to position everything, but not enough to stop you from getting it setup in a minute.

Your drone for everything

With most devices, going smaller usually means cutting features, but that couldn't be more wrong with the Mavic Pro. It still comes equipped with all the features of DJI's larger drones, including front- and bottom-mounted sensors, built-in obstacle avoidance, subject tracking, self-piloted return landings and geofencing to help keep it out of restricted air zones.

If anything, users lose a tiny bit of speed by going with this smaller drone. The Mavic Pro can achieve a maximum speed of 40mph (65kph) in sport mode – a special setting for drone racing, if you want to cut your teeth at the burgeoning sport – while the Phantom 4 can hit a 45mph (72kph) top speed.

DJI's newest drone is also designed to fly steadily, even in the face of 24mph (39kph) winds. As for range, you'll be able to stay connected to the quadcopter up to 4.3 miles (7km) away and a single charge gives you up to 27 minutes of flight time.

Unlike the GoPro Karma, the Mavic Pro comes with a camera, but you can't take it off for non-airborne adventures due to a non-removeable gimbal. That said, the camera can record 4K video at 30fps or 1080p footage at 96fps – the latter of which it can also live stream to Facebook, YouTube and Periscope at a slower 30fps rate.

Alternatively, users could snap 12MP image stills in Adobe's DNG raw format. Users will also be able to take two-second long exposures. While DJI is confident its new three-axis gimbal will produce sharp results, we'll have to put this to the test in the wild with our full review. On top of stabilizing recordings, they gimbal is also designed to turn the camera 90-degrees for portraits and capturing tall architecture.

Screens up, hands down

Ultimately, the greatest barrier to entry with drones has been intimidating controls, and DJI is trying to change that with a simpler and just-as pocketable solution. We got to try this out of ourselves, taking control of this pocket rocket just outside Lisbon.

While it can be simply used with the bundled controller, with all the flight info you could wish for displayed onto the built-in screen, we had it partnered with an iPhone 6S and the latest DJI app installed, allowing us to take full advantage of the gimbal controlled camera feed displayed on the screen, along with a plethora of telemetry round the edges of the frame and also the controller itself.

This was set-up by opening the two hinged side panels at the bottom of the controller where you can snuggly place your smartphone in-between the rubber grooves (you'll probably want to remove it from its case for a better fit), while there are a range of adapters to make a hardwire connection to the controller – no Wi-Fi pairing here.

This means the controller is very easy to set-up once you've released the two antennas at the top (these click nicely back into place when being stowed away), and you're ready to go.

Ready for take-off

All you have to do now is pull out the two arms at the front, the two from behind, a double-press of the power button (this avoids it being knocked/pressed when it's in your bag and draining the battery) and you're ready to take to the sky. No need to fan the rotors out as the force generated when the motors whirr up will do this for you.

For new users, this doesn't have to be as daunting at this sounds. The controls are incredibly tolerant of your inputs, while it remains perfectly stable in midair when you take your hands away from the controller. Even in some windy conditions when we took it up further than the treeline it still remained pretty perfectly balanced – though it did warn us of the adverse wind speed.

There are clearly marked auto controls to get the drone in the air, as well as returning it to where it took off - the Mavic Pro will take photos with its downward facing cameras and using this with the GPS data, will know exactly where to return too. In our hands-on time with it, it was incredibly precise, and certainly takes the stress out of landing if you haven't got the confidence to get it back yourself.

As we've mentioned, you can simply use it with the supplied controller, but we'd urge you to hook your smartphone up to it – the feed you get back is incredibly cool, and at 1080p, the level of detail is impressive. The gimbal is also really easy to direct, with dials on either side of the controller to do this and it's possible to get some really smooth panning with it should you wish. IF the gimbal gets knocked out of alignment – ours at one point was tilting at about 45 degrees after we had a fairly rough landing (user error, not the Mavic Pro), it's easy to re-calibrate (though you have to land and set it on a level surface).

Video and stills

The 28mm lens DJI has chosen for the Mavic Pro finds a good balance between getting plenty in the frame without being too wide so that everything is distorted a bit too much – it's actually a similar field of view to most smartphones, while the level of control to adjust exposure goes way beyond a simple point-and-shoot compact.

As well as being able to set white balance and ISO sensitivity (100-1,600) inflight, you can set the focus by tapping the screen and select whether you want to shoot JPEGs or raw files, or both, while shutter speed and aperture are relayed on screen so you can gauge if you need to boost the ISO or not.

Avoid, track and pan

We also got to try out some of the clever tracking that the Mavic Pro's capable of. Some of the fear for new drone users must be the thought of crashing it into some, but with the Mavic Pro's front avoidance controls, try as we might we couldn't get it to fly into a wall or tree - coming to a halt 15m (49ft) away.

For more professional looking videos, the ActiveTrack functionality is brilliant. Set the target you want tracked (a person or a car for example), and then select either Trace (follow from behind or in front of your subject), Profile (follow alongside) and Spotlight (the Mavic Pro will keep the camera trained on your subject regardless of where you fly the drone).

In the time we had with it, it worked really well and the potential to get high-end video footage that would normally require a couple of operators has to be a tempting proposition.

VR Headset

Alternatively, the drone maker also introduced a new DJI Goggles headset that displays an 85-degree view from the drone on a 1080p display. We got a few seconds to try on the headset and we were amazed with the clarity and lag-free quality of the picture.

It's an immersive experience, to be sure, but one most users likely won't need unless they're racing the drone in the aforementioned sports mode.

And if that's still too much for you, DJI has beefed up the mobile controls on smartphones. Going app-only with the Mavic Pro allows users to simply tap on a location for the drone to fly to. Uses can also tell the drone to fly forward while it avoids obstacles on its own.

The Mavic Pro is also the first DJI drone you can control with gestures alone. It's a surprisingly robust mode that allows you to wave your hands to get the drone's attention. From there, you could make a "Y" with your arms to tell the quadcopter to focus on you, or, if you mimic a photo frame with your fingers, the drone will take an aerial selfie.

Beyond these neat commands, you can also orchestrate the drone's flight with your hands. Gesture in a direction and the drone will follow suit. Likewise, if you have the drone focus on you, it will also follow you as you move – from a generous distance, that is.

Early verdict

On paper, the Mavic Pro seems like DJI's most accessible drone yet. It's priced right, and compared to the GoPro Karma, it's also more affordable with an included camera, no less. Between the improved smartphone app and gesture controls, DJI has made a drone that's much easier to control for the less technically minded.

Mavic Pro should appeal to those who have been watching drone footage by the wayside and are itching to make their own. DJI has finally done away with two of the biggest turn offs of drones by making a device that's far more portable and easier to control.

]]>FanVisionhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/fanvision-1328545/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/fanvision-1328545/reviewAs the world gets used to second screen viewing, FanVision is coming of age at live NASCAR events. We review FanVision, which provides advanced statistics and analytics to race fans as it happens.Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:16:00 +0000techradar.comFanVision is, in some ways, difficult to explain. We've struggled to boil it down to a single sentence, primarily because its value is best realized when you take advantage of everything it offers. As simply as possible, FanVision is a handheld screen and radio network, which allows patrons attending a live sporting event to dive far deeper into what's happening in real-time than those who are left to use their own two eyes. For analytics geeks, there's simply no event companion more enthralling.

We recently had a chance to put FanVision to the test at a pair of NASCAR events. The two venues couldn't be more dissimilar – the first race was a road course in Sonoma, Calif., while the second was a three-quarter mile thriller in Richmond, Va. As of now, FanVision's only major consumer touch point is in motorsport (NASCAR, NHRA, IndyCar), despite once being available at NFL stadiums and F1 races. We'll touch a bit on that later on in the review, but we wanted to start by painting a picture of how the system actually works.

How it works

Charge it up before race day

Make sure you have a subscription for the event you're attending

Power it on, and the connection to the FanVision network is automatic

At each sporting event where FanVision is supported – NASCAR races, in our case – the company erects a wireless network that each of its handhelds connect to. If you have a FanVision display and a subscription (also referred to as an activation) to the event you're at, you're golden.

It's vital to charge your FanVision fully ahead of an event. While the battery is good for around six hours, even with the display glaring the entire time, you don't want it to peter out mid-race. Once you're at the venue, you just boot the unit up, wait around 30 seconds for it to automatically connect to the FanVision network, and start diving in.

It's surprisingly simple to dive into. We're always wary when it comes to products that a) have to connect to a wireless network where tens of thousands of people are gathered and b) claim to "just work." Much to our amazement, the FanVision unit connected immediately and maintained a faultless signal throughout both races that we attended.

In-race benefits

You have access to information that others don't, and that just feels so, so satisfying

So, it's easy to use. Awesome. But, what does it actually do? In a nutshell, it massively enhances the live event experience, and somehow, manages to not get in the way of actually savoring the event itself. We've all seen the guy or gal totally missing the moment due to being buried in a screen (typically a smartphone, but occasionally a Tamagotchi), but FanVision isn't that.

It probably helps to get a bit of background on how motorsport is conventionally enjoyed. You see, these vehicles emit decibel levels that'll darn near deafen you if you sit in the stands for hours without ear protection. So, most folks bring their own earplugs, which do a wonderful job of ensuring that you can still hear your neighbors yelling at you when you're 70. Regrettably, they also do a lovely job of removing you from the excitement, giving your mind plenty of time to ponder how few Pokemon you've managed to catch in the past week.

FanVision reckons that if you're going to wear ear protection, you might as well pump something extra into your ear canal at a safe decibel level. Hardcore race fans know that they can bring their own scanners to the track in order to hear the banter that occurs between driver and pit crew, but FanVision takes that to an entirely different level.

When booting the unit up, you're given the opportunity to select up to three favorite drivers. Then, inside the Scanners pane, you can easily toggle between in-race communications from those drivers and the main race commentary that covers the entire field. Crucially, FanVision can automatically pipe in the main race commentary by default, and then cut to your driver's scanner whenever they (or their pit crew) begin conversing.

So, as you're sitting in the stands ogling the action, you're getting an earful of commentary and/or insider information directly from the driver you're pulling for. The experience is as close to getting inside of the car as you're going to get, and quite frankly, it's enrapturing.

In the two races we attended, we had Team Penske earmarked as favorites: Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. Considering that both of these drivers are – shall we say, dominant – they proved to be quite exciting to watch. Phase 1 is the rush of hearing insider chatter between driver and pit crew, where they discuss topics like steering adjustments, plans for their next pit stop, timings of drivers that are in front of and behind them, and if they're clear on the top or bottom lane to complete a pass.

For statistics and analytics nerds, there's really nothing better. You're getting a live, unfiltered, real-time listen at the brain of a professional athlete as he or she corresponds with the engineers responsible for giving them an edge on the track.

Phase 2 is the on-screen goodness. We spent most of time on the video feed at the Sonoma road course, but in Richmond – where you can see every turn from practically every seat in the grandstands – we kept it locked on the leaderboard. Here, your favorite drivers are fixed up top, with the rest of the grid listed below in order of position. Last lap time, total pit stops, and time behind the driver ahead of them is all listed out. It's a veritable smorgasbord of data, giving math junkies plenty to chew on as they extrapolate how many laps it'll take a driver to pass another if they continue catching up at their given pace.

FanVision is an incredible addition at round tracks like Richmond International Raceway, but it's simply vital at road courses like Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International. With road courses, no one seat is given a view of the entire race. So, oddly, there are moments when a pack of cars zoom by, and then a number of awkward seconds that roll by before you see them come around again to your vantage point. Here, FanVision shines brightest. The video functionality pipes live footage from all corners to your screen, enabling you to never lose sight of the grid – even after they've left your actual purview.

Acquiring a FanVision unit

You can rent ($50/race) or buy ($300) a FanVision display

Renters can rent and return right at the venue

You can use your own earphones or headsets if you'd rather

FanVision sells its controller for $300, which includes a subscription to every race in the NASCAR season. You'll have to pony up a bit more if you're after a sound-reducing, speaker-infused headset, but the good news there is that it's not proprietary. Unlike Apple's iPhone 7 (ahem), the FanVision display has a standard 3.5mm headphone port. You can pick up your own headset on Amazon or elsewhere, and a headphone splitter works wonders if you're attending a race with a friend and want them to share in the excitement.

If you're more of an occasional fan, FanVision rents its display and a single headset for $50 per race weekend, which gets you access to every NASCAR-affiliated event over a three-day span. If you want to double up and get a second headset, tack on $15. If you plan on attending a half-dozen events over the course of a season, you're better off buying the hardware.

At the venue, FanVision has unmissable trailers established on various sides. We noticed around four or five per event, with six or so registers per trailer. Most patrons waited less than five minutes to be served, and those who had pre-ordered a rental online ahead of the event were in and out in just seconds. For what it's worth, we'd strongly recommend pre-ordering if you're certain you're going to an event; you'll save $10 or so, and everything's waiting for you upon arrival.

After the race, you simply return your rental gear in the bag that it was given to you in. While we expected long return lines, that process took around three minutes. Despite huge crowds, FanVision's event staff seemed to be a well-oiled machine, taking the hassle out of renting and returning in the same day.

For the Richmond race, we procured a FanVision unit ahead of time, which was even better. No stopping at a trailer before or after – just show up at the race, turn it on, and enjoy.

Enhancing the experience

Before we dive in too deep here, it's worth reiterating just how seamless the FanVision experience is. The connection is immediate and solid, and the battery is seriously impressive. We still had around 20 percent remaining after a 4.5-hour overtime race in Richmond. The audio feed is delayed, at most, half a second, which is close enough to real-time that it's imperceptible in practice. The video feed doesn't stutter not one iota.

What's most remarkable is just how well the entire streaming process works; it contrasts starkly with our iPhone 6S Plus sitting just beside it, which can't even get an Instagram post through due to network saturation that occurs so frequently at huge events.

We were able to compare the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond from 2015 (where we didn't have FanVision) to the exact same race in 2016 (where we did have FanVision). The difference is significant, to the point where we wouldn't recommend splurging on a NASCAR weekend without also budgeting for FanVision. Feeling the earth rumble as 40 high-powered motorcars scream by at breakneck speeds is never not going to be awesome, but the wealth of additive data – from driver-to-crew audio to mounds of real-time lap data – instantly spoils you.

Rather than wondering how fast a given driver is catching up to another driver, a glance at FanVision provides the answer. It's important to point out the operative word there: glance. FanVision is perhaps the most glanceable piece of glanceable technology we've ever used, and therein lies the charm. You aren't expected or required to keep your face buried in the screen as the event unfolds in front of you. The designers realized from the jump that FanVision would only be enjoyable if it could provide vital information and answer race-related questions at a glance, and that's exactly what it accomplishes.

Couple that with the face that the obvious alternative – trying to find this data via your smartphone – only really works if you're using Sprint, and it becomes even more alluring. (For those unfamiliar with NASCAR events, Sprint is the lead sponsor. Mysteriously, Sprint also seems to be the only carrier with a functional network at NASCAR events. We'll get Scooby-Doo on the case post-haste.)

Second screen questions

In our estimation, the value proposition of FanVision is undeniable at a NASCAR event. Yeah, it roughly doubles the cost of attending for a single person (as it's typically possible to nab a seat for around $50), but we'd say that the enjoyment and immersion is roughly doubled as well.

You need to be a fan to really enjoy the real-time audio and data, of course, but that's why "fan" is right there in the name. If you're just attending a live sporting event in order to fill a void in your Saturday or Sunday night, it's a toss up. We could totally see FanVision pulling you even closer to a sport that you didn't know you were into, but there's also a certain amount of understanding required to appreciate the sheer quantity of information that's at your fingertips.

But, if FanVision is so great, why isn't it supported at NFL and F1 any longer? And why haven't we heard anything about expanding into arenas beyond motorsport? It feels like the idea compassion for MLB, for example, which tends to inject a lot of lulls between action events.

Part of the challenge is the proliferation of the smartphone. It's easy to argue that patrons of sporting events already have the hardware in their pocket to do the things that FanVision does. If you show up with an iPhone in hand, what's the benefit of bringing yet another piece of proprietary hardware? As of now, we can see only two: better battery life, and easier access to a high-speed, flicker-free network stream of information.

There's no question that sporting leagues the world over are spending a lot of resources to enhance the fan experience. Ticket prices are skyrocketing, and marketing departments are pushing dedicated apps, hashtags, etc. to bring fans closer to the teams they favor. It remains to be seen if there's room in an increasingly mobile world for dedicated hardware.

Perhaps FanVision can pivot into an apps and services company that works on the phone you're already bringing into an arena, but solving the network infrastructure problem won't be an easy one. Conventional cellular networks struggle mightily in crowds, and even the beefiest of enterprise routers have a tough time handling petabytes of data from tens of thousands of devices crammed within a single stadium.

In the here and now, however, FanVision is a no-brainer if you're a fan of motorsport. Strange as may sound, it's impressive enough to justify lugging yet another gadget into a venue. Just be sure to do yourself a favor and tune into Team Penkse – those guys are good.

]]>Dyson Supersonichttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/dyson-supersonic-1325831/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/dyson-supersonic-1325831/reviewDoes the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer live up to the hype, or is it all just a load of hot air?Tue, 02 Aug 2016 07:10:00 +0000techradar.comPrimarily known for products that suck – calm down, we're talking about vacuums – Dyson has also proven adept at machines that blow, too (hey now, what did we say earlier?), having refined its jet technology on its Airblade hand dryers and Hot + Cool fans.

Now, the airflow innovator has opened itself up to a completely different market, engineering and creating what it claims is one of the most technologically-advanced beauty products ever, with its new Dyson Supersonic hair dryer.

While it's undeniably one of the most impressive hair dryers we've ever seen, the Dyson Supersonic doesn't come cheap – the high-end device comes with a high-end price, and is only available in Australia on the Dyson website, and at Myer and David Jones stores for AU$699.

In the United Kingdom, the Dyson Supersonic is priced at £300 and is available on the UK Dyson site and at Selfridges.

So the real question is whether or not the added technological fanciness afforded by the Supersonic justifies its hefty price tag.

Design

Though hair dryers have been around since the late 19th century, consumer models haven't really changed much since then. In fact, it's been over 60 years since the last significant evolution in hair dryer design, and that involved putting the motor inside the casing.

In typical handheld hair dryers, a bulky motor sits in the head of the device. This makes them awkwardly top heavy, and the motors themselves have a tendency to be loud, often overheating and burning out.

To remedy this, Dyson spent roughly AU$67 million in research and development on a new kind of dryer, using dozens of prototypes to dry 1,625kms of natural hair tresses over several years until it settled on the Supersonic design it has today.

So what's different about it? For starters, Dyson's engineers have come up with a much smaller and more efficient digital motor, which has the ability to propel 13 litres of air per second. Not only that, it's moved the motor from the head of the device into the handle, which is why you can see straight down its barrel right through to the other side, much like Dyson's aforementioned fans.

That's not to say there isn't anything fancy going on in the Supersonic's head; it's got a microprocessor that monitors temperatures 20 times a second, making sure it never overheats and burns out. Ordinary hair dryers will keep rising in temperature, which is why they give off a burning smell the longer you use them. Thanks to the Supersonic's microprocessor, the device will actually prevent itself from going over a certain temperature (around 120 degrees Celsius), so you'll never have to worry about your hair experiencing heat damage.

One of the Supersonic's neatest and most convenient design elements is also its simplest – magnetised attachments and nozzles. It's the kind of smart inclusion which makes it difficult to go back to lesser hair dryers, as it allows you to instantly snap on a diffuser, styling concentrator or smoothing nozzle (all included) without worrying about it falling off.

Inside the box, you'll also find a non-slip mat and a little rope hanger, so that you can hang the Supersonic from a hook in your preparation area.

Aside from a power switch and a button to instantly turn the Supersonic's airflow cool, there are two main buttons used to control the device. The first, which has a little picture of a fan on it, scrolls through three different airflow speeds, while the button to its right, which has a red dot on it, allows you to cycle between three heat settings.

The power level on each of these settings is indicated by three LED lights (white lights for power, red lights for heat) right above each button, making it easy to keep track of how powerful and how hot you've set the device.

In terms of drying speed, the Supersonic is on par with most devices of its kind, taking around 3-6 minutes to turn wet hair dry, depending on the thickness and length of your hair. Though it doesn't get as (irresponsibly) hot as cheaper competing dryers, its sheer blowing power makes sure to get you well-coiffed quickly.

It's important to note that the Dyson Supersonic is a corded product, so while it might've been extra impressive to have a cordless model in the same vein as the company's excellent cordless vacuums, it would also come with significant drawbacks.

The unit would need to be bulkier and heavier to accommodate an in-built battery, and short battery life and long recharge times would make that proposition hardly worth investing in. Most people will be using the Dyson Supersonic in front of mirror anyway, so being tied to the wall is really no big deal.

Verdict

Though it's only got one real function (and one that's hard to get wrong, at that), we can't help but overstate just how well it performs that singular task.

The Dyson Supersonic is a pleasure to use, with its perfectly-weighted build, attractive design, easy-to-use settings and quiet-yet-powerful airflow, you really do feel like you're using a high-end, luxury product.

Admittedly, the Supersonic is incredibly expensive for a hair dryer, costing 2-3 times as much as a professional grade hair dryer from a well-renowned brand like ghd, which are priced at roughly AU$250/£145.

With that said, Dyson execs have suggested that the Supersonic is so well-built, that it should last at least ten years – a much longer lifespan than most other hair dryers. The actual warranty on the device is only two years, however, so that's not a guarantee set in stone.

Quite frankly, the device's exorbitant price is its only real drawback. It's likely going to be out of most people's price range. However, if you have disposable income and want the best hair dryer you can possibly get, or if you're a professional hair-stylist, you should look no further than the Dyson Supersonic. It really is the Porsche of hair dryers.

Along with tracking the amount of sleep you're getting each night, the new feature can also help you decide when is a good time to head to bed and wake up each day. It's a small, but thoughtful addition that should keep Fitbit users interested.

Fitbit Surge is the fitness tracker that has so many new features, the start-up company behind it calls it a "superwatch" next to the more normal Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Charge HR.

There's good reason for that label. The final version I tested has built-in GPS, a heart-rate monitor and real-time workout data, all fan-requested capabilities that raise the price.

It's certainly a step up from the Fitbit Force that was recalled for causing skin allergies and never saw its promised smartwatch functionality, though a few more rashes have been reported.

At $250 (£200, AU$350), Fitbit Surge reclaims lost territory and squares off against just as pricey fitness trackers, like the Basis Peak, and pricier ones, like the Garmin Forerunner 920XT.

Yes, its specs make it the most powerful Fitbit yet, but is it ahead of this stepped-up competition or gym class-awkward among its brawnier peers? Time to put it through my paces.

Design and display

Designed for workout performance, the Fitbit Surge fastens a noticeably larger LCD display to your wrist, and it's able to easily cycle through multiple stats. Gone is the single-line OLED.

Wearing Fitbit Surge on the beaten path

This backlit, always-on interface allows you to keep tabs on your steps, miles, active minutes and heart rate on a black-and-white, 1.25-inch screen.

Fitbit Surge upgrades to a touchscreen, and puts three physical buttons at your fingertips. It's just more control to set everything from workout timers to GPS tracking to music controls.

The display is not in color and doesn't fit as much information on one screen like the Garmin Forerunner 920XT, but now there's no need to cycle through by pressing a single, tiny button.

I do wish that the Fitbit Surge included an option to cycle back to the current time after a while – and came with additional faces besides the four preinstalled watch faces to make the watch portion more relevant. An update could easily fix these oversights.

The Clasp of the Fitbit Surge and Fitbit Charge HR are much more secure

Tucked underneath the watch band is an optical heart-rate monitor and at ends of the straps is a strong wristwatch clasp that is easier to fasten than Fitbit's usual two-pronged approach.

I nearly lost my Fitbit Force in a parking garage before driving 30 minutes away and then 30 minutes back to fetch it – all because of that previous ill-conceived design.

The new watch clasp is two Fitbit-sized steps in the right direction. It's also available on the Fitbit Charge HR, but not the Fitbit Charge, so avoid that version if you tend to lose things.

Warning: This Fitbit is larger than all of the others

While the Fitbit Surge functionality is more advanced, the square look and bigger size is akin to a dated, '80s digital watch. It's not fashionable, yet stands out more than previous Fitbits. It doesn't help that it comes in only black, with blue and tangerine "coming soon."

At its thickest point, the watch case is half an inch thick off the wrist and its strap is an inch wide. That's about 1.5 times wider than the Fitbit Charge HR band and tough to hide.

The large, rubber-coated lugs at the top and bottom of the Fitbit Surge make tucking it into a shirt sleeve an extra workout Fitbit failed to advertise.

Fitbit metrics

Fitbit Surge now has a total of eight sensors crammed into its large frame, which, along with the LCD touchscreen, accounts for its expanded size.

There are several modes, each with easy-to-read graphics

This means it can track all sort of movements beyond a fitness gadgets' routine metrics of steps, distance traveled and calories burned.

An altimeter, for example, is here to monitor how many floors you've climb in a day. That's a stat that's not available in all Fitbits, including the popular Fitbit Flex.

GPS is a completely new sensor to the Fitbit family. It can map your runs using Google Maps while generating step-by-step graphs for elevation, pace, heart rate and calories burned.

I probably didn't cut through buildings when jogging to Pier Avenue during my first test

The best part is that Fitbit Surge's satellite tracking works without your phone. You can leave that at home, a feature that's not available in the new Apple Watch.

There's something motiativing about reviewing your entire run laid out on a familiar overhead map and trying to best it the next time. You know you need to push it at certain landmarks.

Fitbit Surge's GPS tracking isn't the most accurate I've tested, with noticeable smoothing around corners and, at times, off-track routes that are a street and a half over.

Fitbit's GPS fared better when walking, one of many excerise modes

All is not lost, however, as these GPS errors are few and far between. More often, I found Fitbit's always-inflated step counts to push me to my 1,000 steps goal faster than expected.

My higher-than-normal step count did stay consistent. That made day-to-day goal-beating just as important and at least kept me consistent with my friends and family wearing older Fitbits.

Run tracking, without or without GPS, can be initiated right from the watch, so there's no need to go to the app screen or press a secret pattern of buttons to get started.

It includes plenty of exercise modes, all the way down to martial arts

A post-launch Fitbit Surge firmware update has been announced in order to bring bike tracking to that list. The new software will also bring Multi-Tracker Support so you can wear as many Fitbits as you want.

Needless to say, I never felt robbed of fitness tracking modes with the Fitbit Surge. The app also has a menu for food planning, but it remain cumbersome to track and is worthless.

All of the collected data syncs to the Fitbit app as well as an easier-to-study web interface, a bonus that the mobile-only Jawbone Up products don't offer.

As running watches go, the Fitbit Surge is fairly standout in design. Hailing from somewhere in the Apple direction, it's a stylish wrist piece in it's own right, hailing from a family of consistently- styled bands and trackers.

The tracking element has been dragged across to the Surge, along with GPS and HR tracking to give you a fuller picture of your performance.

It's immediately obvious that this is more of a fashion item rather than a hardcore 'ultramarathon' tracker, which is by no means a bad thing.

Out of the box the Surge impresses with the speed of setup. Just charge, slap on wrist, hit the 'Run' option in the menu, confirm Free or Treadmill run (GPS on or off) and crack on.

The strap is a traditional strap and buckle affair allowing enough play for the HR sensor to read correctly, and stays neatly put in use.

The slightly canted screen makes glancing at stats mid-run a pleasure, and the slightly rounded contour of the back is comfy enough for long sessions.

The 'quick start' button let's you skip the 'standing on the pavement staring at a GPS icon' bit, which is nice.

The GPS itself picks up very rapidly indeed, getting a lock seconds after hitting the open air even in crowded central London.

We liked the vibrate alerts for pause/start and GPS lock, and if you're looking for other sports to track there's a plentiful selection on tap, from 'hiking', 'weights', 'elliptical', through to 'spinning', 'yoga' and a mysterious 'workout', the latter intended as a catchall.

While running most of the screen real estate is fixed to distance and overall time, with just the bottom bar being swipeable between HR, average pace, pace, clock, steps, calories.

For a smartwatch or fitness tracker that's fine, but for a pure running watch it's a little weak. The sensitivity of the screen to swipes seems variable, possibly due to the small area involved. The upshot is it's not easy to skip between stats on the move.

Heart Rate zone training is especially fiddly - it is possible to see which one you're currently operating in via a system of tiny dots, but it's not that easy to read on the move. It is possible to create HR zones of your own instead of using the defaults, (create in app or PC then sync), but you'll have to keep checking obsessively to stay on track.

You can receive call and text notifications while running, hit the top 'action button' to view alerts, home button to dismiss, and you can even control iOS music by double-pressing the Home button. However, there's no social pestering, and no calendar alerts, which is a double-edged sword in connectivity terms.

Accuracy wise the HR monitor is a mixed bag - tested back-to-back against a Suunto HR chest strap on one occasion it spent the first 2k or the run varying around 10-5BPM out of sync, while we fiddled with the position and strap tightness. Finally it settled down to track the chest belt accurately, albeit on a slight delay.

However, removing the Surge and replacing it triggered the same behaviour, in spite of our previous experience in positioning etc. Once setup correctly it's accurate enough, but getting that setup seems a little hit and miss, and if you're not in the habit of running with a chestbelt as a control you'll not know it's out of whack.

The GPS tracked us accurately, on the upside, and the Fitbit step counter algorithm was as generous as ever, with us hitting our 10k target before lunch some days.

Coupled with the runner-friendly GPS feature, the Fitbit Surge has a heart-rate monitor that constantly tracks your heartbeat for what the company calls a "PurePulse."

These green lasers constantly pulse to detect changes in blood volume

Really, it's an optical heart rate monitor that sits on the underside of the watch and reflects a pair of green LEDs off of your skin to calculate changes in blood volume.

This HRM technology is no different what's found in the Fitbit Charge HR, which keeps tabs on your beats per minute. But the Surge does have a helpful trailing BPM indicator on the LCD.

And it's wholly better than the heart monitors found in earlier fitness trackers, like the Withings Pulse O2. Those forced users to pause to calculate their heart rate.

Of course, I've always found the chest-mounted Polar Smart Heart Rate Sensor tell the truth vs any wrist-worn HRM. But as an all-in-one solution, this Fitbit works fine in most conditions.

Its always-on LCD also fixes the problem we had with the Fitbit Charge HR heart rate monitor. That version's display went to sleep, complicating running and actively watching your BPM.

Sleep tracking

Sleep tracking, when it works, is a bonus feature that's just as important as any wide-awake health metric. The problem is that it doesn't always work in fitness trackers.

Automatic sleep tracking isn't accurate, but silent alarms are back

Jawbone Up24 is the perfect example. It logs fairly accurate wake/light sleep/deep sleep stats for us, but too often we forget to set it to the sleep mode. Or forget to wake it in the morning.

Fitbit Surge remedies that, along with the Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Charge HR, with automatic sleep detection. It starts logging sleep within minutes of dozing off.

It sure beats having to set the band into sleep mode with a long press of a button. That was always a little backwards and now it's fixed. The only thing you need to set is the convenient silent alarm that vibrates to wake you and not the person next to you.

Sadly, Fitbit is known for providing a very basic sleep timeline: asleep in blue, restless in aqua and awake in pink. Worse, Fitbit Surge's patterns don't always reflect other trackers.

It's really hard to get a sense of how you slept from this scrunched-up timeline

I found it to be harder to read my overly simplistic sleep timeline vs the minute-by-minute sleep analysis provided by the Jawbone Up24 and Basis Peak sleep tracker.

What the Fitbit line really needs is a new way of displaying the sleep tracking data it collects. Its scrunched-up timeline is hard to read, so the automatic sleep detection is less meaningful.

Fitbit Surge's sleep tracking feature is a fantastic idea, one that's just as important as steps, but it doesn't follow through with anything that can be considered accurate or helpful.

Since we originally reviewed the Surge, Fitbit has introduced Sleep Schedule, which not only tracks sleep, but helps you decide when you should be waking up and going to bed to have the healthiest lifestyle possible.

Smartwatch features

Fitbit Surge comes through with overdue smartwatch capabilities in a big way, thanks to its oversized square display.

Not an emergency? I can respond to this after my run

This shows a scrolling Caller ID from incoming calls and SMS alerts that can be read in full. Is a call or text worth pulling your phone out of your pocket or should you keep on running?

The Fitbit Surge solves that problem and also gives you control over your mobile music with a few swipes or taps on the new wristwatch.

It can't store music, but music controls are ace during runs

Double tapping the left button brings up a hidden menu for interfacing with your phone's music. I used Google Play Music and could skip tracks, pause and play music.

Music playback did require enabling Bluetooth Classic, which was confusing at first and drains the battery quick. But it was effective once I re-synced the watch to my phone.

Just don't expect to store music on the watch itself. Fitbit Surge is large enough and doesn't need internal storage to make it even bigger.

Fitbit Surge compatibility

Chances are, if you own a modern day smartphone, Fitbit Surge works with it. That's because the necessary app is compatible with iOS 8, Android and Windows Phone handsets.

Fitbit's biggest perk? It works on iOS, Android and Windows Phone

Fitbit is the first mainstream wearable manufacturer to invite Microsoft's loyal customers into the fitness stats-syncing fold, and it actually goes a step further on Windows Phone 8.1.

Testing it out on my Nokia Lumia 830, I was able to tell Cortona to log food and activities with the sound of my voice. Saying "Fitbit, I ate a salad for lunch" searched the database of 350,000 foods.

This would make Microsoft's platform the ideal choice for Fitbit users, but food logging is still too complicated in the end. I was forced to describe the salad and its size to a nauseating degree.

The Fitbit ecosystem is all-around more inclusive except when it comes to Apple Health. Sadly, the fitness-focused startup as opted out of syncing its data with iPhone's wellness app.

Fitbit Surge is as waterproof as a smartwatch gets by matching the Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel, according to the official specs. It's listed at 5ATM, okay for a depth of 50 meters or 164 feet.

Its ATM rating says waterproof, but Fitbit still says it's just splashproof

However, confusingly, the company still says while "it's rain and splash proof and can stand up to the sweatiest workout," owners should "remove before showering or swimming."

I didn't have any problem submerging my Fitbit Surge for a few minutes. It didn't brick my $250 gadget and will almost certainly survive lengthy, sweat-filled workouts or heavy rain.

Fitbit Surge battery life

Fitbit Surge excels in a lot of areas, but it falls behind its predecessors when it comes to battery life. That's expected given its large black-and-white LCD and new GPS capabilities.

The problem is that Fitbit promises its new "superwatch" can last seven days with heart rate monitoring and activity tracking enabled. It advises turning off GPS and music controls.

It lasted me a little more than four days, but charges in an hour and a half

My Surge didn't live up to that stamina in tests. It gave me about four and a half days between charges before it quit, even when minimally using its GPS capabilities during the week.

Given the Apple Watch, every Android Wear watch and my phone require daily charging, that's more than acceptable. It takes about an hour and a half to recharge a Surge.

What's infuriating is that Fitbit Surge uses a proprietary charger - one that's different from the two other recently released Fitbits.

But I shouldn't need three separate chargers for the three new Fitbits

At first, I was excited to see that the Fitbit Charge used the same proprietary USB charger as the Fitbit Force. I had two of the same charger.

Then I got the Fitbit Charge HR, which had a slightly different charger, and then the Fitbit Surge, which had its own unique charger. What?

Yes, I now have three brand new Fitbits with three different chargers. The company lost its chance at creating a ubiquitous fitness charger among its ecosystem.

We liked

This is, without a doubt, the most powerful Fitbit yet. It's the best of its brand, thanks to the ability to track GPS-mapped runs without a phone, control music on the run and check your heart rate in real time.

There's a lot going on within this sensor-filled fitness tracker, and it has a 1.25-inch display to prove that all the metrics are working at the same time your blood is pumping. Best of all, it syncs with newer Windows phones in addition to iOS and Android devices.

Fitbit Surge vs Fitbit Charge HR vs Fitbit Charge

We disliked

Fitbit Surge tries to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of "run," but it falls short in every way. It's not as accurate as the Garmin's top-tier fitness tracker and not as subtle as an activity band. It's big, bulky and doesn't have all of the premium features to back up its size.

Its sleep tracking capabilities haven't evolved, the steps count is still inflated and the fact that this is the third recent Fitbit with the third proprietary charger is a joke. Why must they all be just a little bit different and incompatible with each other? I'd also ask for a color e-paper display instead of a black-and-white LCD, but the battery life is already shorter than advertised.

Is this the Fitbit to own?

Final verdict

Fitbit Surge is meant for budget-conscious power users who are in need of a smarter running accessory. In this way, it runs laps around Fitbit's more casual wearables, like its Fitbit Flex or Fitbit Charge, thanks to GPS-mapped runs, basic music controls and smartwatch-like notifications.

The catch is that Surge is still designed to be worn on a daily basis. That doesn't work out, because it's shaped like a clunky running watch. It's significantly bigger than every other Fitbit and doesn't blend in with normal wear.

That's the price of having a built-in GPS, a touchscreen interface, a heart-rate monitor and automatic sleep tracking. Fitbit Surge is set up to fill the void between a fitness tracker and a real running watch. It does that, but is only recommended if you can't afford the more reliable Garmin Forerunner 920XT.

]]>Dyson Cinetic Big Ballhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/dyson-cinetic-big-ball-1324575/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/dyson-cinetic-big-ball-1324575/reviewDoes the heavy duty Dyson Cinetic Big Ball vacuum stand up to the company's cordless alternatives?Fri, 08 Jul 2016 05:02:00 +0000techradar.comIt's hard to deny Dyson's position at the forefront of cutting-edge vacuum technology, with most other vacuum makers regularly playing catchup in an arena that's been dominated for years by the trendsetting company.

It's easy to be instantly impressed by Dyson's manoeuvrable and endlessly convenient stick vacuums, with their impressive suction, lightweight builds and attractive designs – all without the hassle of cables getting in the way. However, cordless vacuums do have their caveats.

Getting 20 minutes of vacuum time from a two-hour charge can suck even more than the device itself, and there are times when you require a more powerful and heavy-duty vacuum solution.

In these situations, Dyson's new Cinetic Big Ball vacuum is a terrific alternative, offering the quality cleaning experience and reliability that corded vacuums are known for, without many of the usual hang-ups that make people want to go cordless in the first place.

Design

One of the biggest frustrations that comes with using a corded vacuum is that it tends to constantly fall over or tumble as you drag it along behind you.

Granted, on the late-night infomercial scale of annoying first world problems, a 'vacuum cleaner that constantly tips over' sits just above the 'milk carton that explodes in your face when you try to open it' predicament – it's nowhere near as big a problem as some would have you believe, though we'd gladly live without it.

To combat this problem, Dyson has developed a ball-shaped vacuum that automatically picks itself back up whenever it falls down. It's sort of like the vacuum equivalent of the band Chumbawamba; the main difference being that even the Cinetic Big Ball can't hope to achieve that level of immense suckage.

A clever design, the Big Ball's spherical array is weighted at its base, creating a low centre of gravity which forces the vacuum back into the upright position whenever it falls over. You can even walk up and kick the Big Ball down, and, short of physically restraining it, it will always roll back into the right position. It's got a decent cord length, too, allowing you to venture 10.75 metres from your power plug.

Though Dyson vacuums are easier to handle than most, there's always room for improvement. Typically, vacuum handles are quite rigid, sacrificing manoeuvrability for sturdiness. However, Dyson has given the Cinetic Big Ball an articulated handle that allows for 360° movement, providing a much more comfortable and precise vacuuming experience.

As we've come to expect from Dyson vacuums, the Cinetic Big Ball comes with a number of quick release tools for all kinds of vacuuming situations. The entry-level model ($699 / £399.98) comes with a Combination tool for narrow areas, a Musclehead floor tool, and a smaller Stair tool, which lets you vacuum across the length of each step without overhang. If you're willing to go as high as $999 (£449.99) for the Cinetic Big Ball Animal Pro (great for people suffering from animal fur-related allergies), you'll also receive a Reach Under tool, a Carbon Fibre Soft Dusting brush, a Swivel Hard Floor tool and a Tangle-Free Turbine tool.

All of this is great, but the real showstopper here is the inclusion of a new Hygienic Dirt Ejector system, which is the kind of welcome addition that makes it hard to go back to the bin-emptying methods of Dyson's previous vacuums.

On earlier models, collected dirt would constantly find its way into the vacuum's hard-to-reach crevices, forcing you to either shove your hand into an extremely tight spot, or use a utensil (like a butter knife) to scoop out the built up waste. The Hygienic Dirt Ejector makes this problem a thing of the past, providing a new silicone collar along the inside of the unit which scrapes down from the very top of the bin, making sure that no compressed junk is left behind.

Speaking of its bin, the Cinetic Big Ball also sports a removable barrel that's 33 percent bigger than the previous generation of Dyson Cinetic barrel machines.

Performance

As was mentioned earlier, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball is the heavy-duty vacuum to use when a cordless stick vacuum won't cut it. Packing a whopping 250AW of suction power, the Cinetic Big Ball is easily Dyson's most powerful consumer vacuum – compare that to the cordless Dyson V6's 28AW of suction power (100AW on Boost mode).

Its Cinetic Cyclone technology, in which a series of cones is used to spin air and separate microscopic dust particles (like dead skin cells, dust mites and other allergens) from the rest of your accumulated waste, is more efficient than ever before.

Normally, this kind of particle pickup would require the filter to be cleaned regularly, however, the Cinetic Big Ball's particle separation is so fine and microscopic, that there is literally no need to ever clean or replace its filter. This means that the vacuum requires no maintenance whatsoever.

Though it has a lot of grunt under its theoretical hood, its design is what makes the Cinetic Big Ball perform so well. Its round shape prevents it from snagging on the corners of furniture, and you already know what happens when it topples over. Its swivel handle also performs admirably, taking the pressure away from your wrist and forearm so that you can focus on precision control. It's also got a longer wand than previous models, extendable to 1,250cm, allowing you to access hard-to-reach places.

Admittedly, there were moments where blockage would occur in the back of the vaccum's head. While the Tangle-Free Turbine tool performed just like its name would imply, the tube behind the brush would occasionally need to be manually unblocked so that vacuuming could continue.

Verdict

It's hard to fault Dyson's Cinetic Big Ball. Its round design and self-pickup functionality takes much of the frustration out of vacuuming, and its articulated handle allows for vacuum control that's easy on the wrists and forearms.

It's got a great deal more suction power than Dyson's cordless vacuums, making it the perfect vacuum for heavy-duty cleaning situations. We also love the fact that its filter never needs to be cleaned or replaced.

Though its vacuum head occasionally needs to be unblocked, and it still needs to be tied to a wall or extension socket to function, the Cinetic Big Ball is just about the best vacuum in its class.

]]>LG Rolling Bothttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/lg-rolling-bot-1315699/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/lg-rolling-bot-1315699/reviewIt's one of the silliest products at MWC 2016, but we really, really want the Rolling Bot.Wed, 24 Feb 2016 15:44:00 +0000techradar.comWhat is the LG Rolling Bot? It's a few things. A remote controlled toy. A home surveillance camera. An entertainer for your cat. We kid you not - this is LG's crazy creative juices in full flow.

LG didn't even intend to launch the Rolling Bot, but it was so well liked internally they decided to treat the world to it. Perhaps the success of Sphero BB-8 encouraged LG to make its own round rollable a reality.

The white plastic sphere comprises of two domed wheels bolted onto a central circular control unit. Slightly smaller than a bowling ball, the Rolling Bot looks like it could belong on the set of iRobot.

It feels pretty tough, but LG recommends not dropping it from anything higher than about a foot - so don't go running it down the stairs.

You control the Rolling Bot with a smartphone app (available on Android and iOS), and with its built-in 8MP you get a visual from the robot as you drive it round your house.

You can take pictures and record footage, and the Rolling Bot can connect to your home's web connection allowing you to control your bot from anywhere in the world.

This means you can check on your home to ensure everything is in order, although it probably can't fend off an intruder. It may help put them off though, as the Rolling Bot also has a built in speaker.

LG's positioning this particular feature at pet owners, who can check up on their beloved animal when they're out of the house and offer them a few word of comfort - or simply shout at them to get off the sofa.

Of course, I'm sure you can think of other uses for the speaker.

There's an added bonus for cat owners too, as the Rolling Bot also has "Pet Mode." Once activated in the app the Rolling Bot will move around by itself while shining a laser point for your moggy to chase. Why? Why the hell not?

The Rolling Bot runs off 512MB of RAM and a 5000mAh battery. It knows when it's getting low on charge, and will go and park itself in its charging dock when it's nearly out.

If you think the white paint job is a little dull, then there's good news - there are ports on the Rolling Bot specifically for outfits. The example on the LG booth was bunny ears and a fluffy tail. We can't wait for the BB-8 mod.

There's no word on pricing, and it's unlikely to be particularly cheap, but the LG Rolling Bot will be out later this year.

Early verdict

It may not make sense, but the LG Rolling Bot doesn't need to. That's its charm. This is a product that was never intended for general release with a seemingly random feature set, but somehow it works and I want it.

I just hope I can afford it.

]]>Fitbit Force reviewhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/fitbit-force-review-1224296/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/fitbit-force-review-1224296/reviewSkin rashes saw the Fitbit Force recalled, but it was still a pretty good tracker for its time.Fri, 05 Feb 2016 02:00:00 +0000techradar.comUpdate: Fitbit Force has been recalled, so we updated our review to address its skin irritation issues and compare it to wearables that came out days after its release.

Fitbit has always been a few pedometer steps ahead of other activity tracking devices, but like the average person's fitness routine, Fitbit One and Fitbit Flex were still a work in progress. It was easy to be excited about in the beginning, but hard to stick with. Ironically, that's exactly how most people feel about the gym.

The startup company's activity and sleep tracking wearable gave almost 10,000 users rashes in the US and Canada, before it even hit Aussie shelves. A Fitbit Force recall in February has taken it off the market for the time being with the promise of a new version that people aren't allergic to.

Fitbit Force changes all of that. The startup company's latest activity and sleep tracking gadget marries the best features of the One and the Flex and throws in some smartwatch ideas too.

Sure, the still-available Fitbit One has most of these features, but its clip-on implementation means it is easy to lose or forget to use everyday. Nothing makes you drop a routine more than literally dropping and losing a thumb-drive-sized device.

Fitbit Flex remedied this by taking cues from the Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up, fashioning the activity tracker into a wristband. Sadly, it lost a few features in the transition, namely the One's floor-tracking altimeter and OLED display.

The Fitbit Force is more like the Fitbit tour de Force, combining all of the best features with convenience so that everyone's interest in quantified self lasts longer than the average New Year's commitment.

Fitbit Force contains a display and includes the time

Display

The OLED screen on the Fitbit Force is small, but it ends up being the biggest new feature on the wristband. It displays steps, distance, calories burned, very active minutes, floors climbed and the time.

These six numbers are six more than the Fitbit Flex gave us; it had five LED lights that indicated the percentage of steps taken through the day. Five little dots don't exactly motivate you to your goal like actual metrics do.

Seeing 8,000 steps when your goal is 10,000 steps might make you go outside and jog right before the midnight reset. It's much more encouraging to see this number climb in real time on your wrist. Four out of five dots doesn't inspire the same rise-from-the-couch drive.

The time, the only number that can't be sped up with activity, makes wearing the Fitbit Force even more practical. It doubles as a wristwatch and cuts down on checking a smartphone for the current time.

Fitbit finally keeps pace with the Nike FuelBand, which also offers the time, though Nike does it through a more futuristic-looking LED that spans the length of the rubber bracelet. The Force's OLED is less flashy, measuring just .75 of an inch by .375 of an inch. But it displays distance, floors climbed and very active minutes, three metrics the Nike band leaves out.

Fitbit Force clasp is hard to get together

Skin irritation and recall

Fitbit Force was rushed to launch days before the Nike FuelBand SE and Jawbone Up 24 were announced, and the company seems to have gotten burned with a rash-resulting fitness band.

It said the allergic reactions were being experienced by a "small percentage" of users, which included the 10,000 who reported skin irritation and 250 more who received blistering. Rolling the dice with a small chance of itchy skin blemishes isn't the most appealing way to stay healthy.

Fitbit offered a refund of US$140 for the wearable, which is slightly more than the US$129.95 device was worth on store shelves. The company told techradar that this is to cover the sales taxes in all but the most tax-heavy states.

Fitbit CEO James Park said that a the company is "working on [its] next-generation tracker and will announce news about it soon." It remains to be seen whether or not this is a hypoallergenic version of the Fitbit Force or a completely new activity monitor with a host of additional features.

Design

Don't let the "Force" name fool you. Unlike going to the gym, you won't feel forced to wear the latest Fitbit wristband. Once you put the water-resistant Fitbit Force on, it's thankfully easy to forget about.

That contrasts with the Nike FuelBand, even though it also weighs 30 grams. The difference is that Fitbit Force inherits the previous model's flexible body and slightly wider design. The FuelBand is made of stiff rubber and is a little more concentrated on the wrist.

The Fitbit Force, which comes in two colours, black and slate, is also top-heavy. It thins out as it wraps around a wrist, making it look and feel more like a real wristwatch. That makes it easier to wear when typing compared to the evenly distributed weight of the Nike FuelBand, which looks like a less fashionable bracelet.

Comfort and style may seem like an afterthought compared to more tech-pleasing features like a bright OLED display and a floor-tracking altimeter. But if you don't feel like wearing a fitness device every hour of the day, chances are it's going to collect dust faster than the Wii Fit fitness board.

The only drawback to the Fitbit Force design is the clasp. Same as the Flex, it's hard to insert the pair of gray prongs into two of the nine oval holes at first. You almost need a third hand to make it happen. It does get easier with practice and the long battery life means taking the device off to charge isn't a daily chore.

Fitbit Force dashboard keeps you motivated

Interface

Fitbit Force tracks steps, distance, calories burned, very active minutes and floors climbed. The accuracy is along the lines of the Flex. It seems to round up the number of steps taken, inflating the total compared to the FuelBand and Jawbone Up. But it's less likely to count punching air as a step, so it evens out.

All of that doesn't matter if it doesn't compel you to continually achieve goals. The good news is that Fitbit's mobile app and web-based dashboard are the unsung motivators of this wearable technology. The Force makes the process of syncing even easier thanks to Bluetooth 4.0. The tracker and the easy-to-read progress charts are constantly connected without gratuitously running down the battery.

There are also tabs for seeing how Fitbit-owning friends are doing, weight tracking via Fitbit Aria or Withings scale, fun-to-earn badges and a food plan to keep track of diet and calorie intake. Every one of these charts is an automatic process except for the food plan.

You still have to manually log in the food you eat. Fitbit, unlike Nike, opened its API to partners, but there's nothing out there that automatically tracks food intake. Not even the HAPIfork cuts it here.

Even more challenging is the fact that the native food library for Fitbit isn't regionalised, meaning you either get the American, French, German or Spanish food database. You can work around this by using a third party app like My Fitness Pal, but it's still a manual effort, and frankly, you'll probably give up after a few days.

Sleep tracking

Not moving around is the goal of Fitbit Force's sleep tracking functionality. Pressing in the device's one-and-only button for a few seconds when in bed transitions it into a timer mode that begins counting up. When you wake up, holding down the button stops the timer.

Charting restless moments and deep sleep could be helpful, but the sleep tracker's accuracy is a bit suspect. This is something has been consistent in the Fitbit Flex and One. The Jawbone Up or even an inexpensive app like Sleep Cycle on a smartphones seem to do a better job of differentiating between REM sleep, restless moments and being wide awake.

All Fitbit devices with sleep tracking have "normal" and "sensitive" settings, the latter of which we recommend. The default normal setting often conveys the sleep you wish you had gotten the night before.

We'd also like a bit more evidence that the device is in sleep mode. Originally it seemed like we just kicked off a stopwatch (which we did in a way), and it took a trip to the manual to confirm that this was how you kick off sleep tracking.

The silent alarm

The returning silent alarm is the more useful sleep-related feature. The Fitbit Force wristband can vibrate and wake you up at a specified time without having to hear a nagging alarm clock.

That's extra handy if you are sleeping next to someone who doesn't have to wake up at the same time as you.

Waking up to the Fitbit Force's silent alarm is almost as if someone is gently tugging on your arm to get you to wake up. It's as peaceful as waking up early can get.

That's good and all, but if you happen to be someone who relishes a snooze button, you'll need to be careful you don't switch off the silent alarm by mistake.

The battery is annoying to charge with the proprietary USB cable

Battery life

Having Bluetooth 4.0 on board the Fitbit Force makes life easier because the low-energy protocol can constantly sync to the Fitbit app without requiring daily charges.

The Fitbit Force specs promise seven to ten days of battery life and generally that's what we found in our tests. It also fully charged within an hour. That bests what the our to five days from the FuelBand, though Nike's SE version is expected to match the 7 to 10 day figure.

The extended battery life is good because if there's one misstep with this device it's including a proprietary USB charging cable. It's too short and extremely easy to lose. You don't want to be carrying it around with you day-to-day.

Everyone else has to sync the Fitbit Force with the Bluetooth USB dongle that comes in the box. It's another thing that can be lost and it's a little more cumbersome of an operation, but at least it does the job wirelessly.

For some reason, the Fitbit Force, like previous models won't sync natively with a computer that already has Bluetooth built in. That would have been less obtrusive than a USB nub.

The Fitbit Force (bottom) comes out on top

Fitbit Force vs Nike FuelBand

Nike just announced the FuelBand SE, but Fitbit got out in front of its main competition with the Force. The sneaker-maker might not have enough fuel to catch up, either, as it merely tweaked its hardware.

Fitbit, with an OLED display to call its own, features more metrics on the watch face, includes an in-depth online dashboard and tracks quality of sleep - the new FuelBand only tracks time slept.

Its dashboard is a brilliant motivator, even if it's sleep tracking stats are a little off and the food plan is still a manual process. Nike doesn't include a way to track foods eaten, floors climbed, very active minutes, calories in vs out, weight, or sleep quality.

Fitbit trusts fitness app rivals like RunKeeper and MapMyRun and, more importantly, trusts users to tinker with the stats by logging custom activities. This is essential because swimming and bicycling don't count toward goals and metric totals otherwise. There's nothing worse than owning a FuelBand and not getting credit for these common calorie-burning activities.

Finally, Fitbit Force is more comfortable to wear thanks to its flexible and lightweight design over the harder rubber-feeling of the Nike FuelBand. It doesn't look like that will change when the Nike FuelBand SE comes out next month.

Notifications

Fitbit Force has more features than its competition, but the company is going the extra mile by adding incoming call notifications. It's officially crossing the threshold into smartwatch territory.

A Caller ID notification would be helpful for those moments when you're busy cooking food and your smartphone is in another room charging. You'll know if it's a call worth rushing over to pick up or one that you'd rather send to voicemail.

Fitbit promised to add smart call notifications to iOS 7 devices in time for Force's first firmware update, and despite the fact that we got to check it out in person last year, it was delayed. The only call notification that seems to be happening now is the Fitbit Force recall.

When it does come about, it's going to be for iOS 7 devices and iPhone 4S and up. Fitbit told us that "the team is always looking to expand the features on more devices and platforms," but that it's only destined for iOS 7 at the moment.

The backside of the Fitbit Force

Fitbit Force is 10,000 steps in the right direction for an activity tracking device. It added a much-needed OLED display and floor-tracking features of the Fitbit One to the form factor of the Fitbit Flex. Separately, these two devices were imperfect. Now, in a comeback story worthy of the Hollywood biopic treatment, the startup has what it takes to challenge Nike and Jawbone.

We liked

For $169, it tracks more data than the FuelBand ($189) and lays out your activity history in an advanced dashboard that drives you to meet goals and earn badges. It supports a few Android devices and also trusts users enough to let them to log activities that weren't counted by the tracker. There's nothing less motivating than feeling cheated by a rubber band at the end of a weightlifting workout.

We disliked

Fitbit didn't get everything right. The sleep monitoring hasn't gotten any more accurate since we first tested out the Fitbit One, and the smartphone compatibility list has hardly grown. Matters are further complicated by the hard-to-button clasp and proprietary charging cable.

Verdict

Sure, there's a Fitbit Force recall, but we have heard from a several loyal owners who aren't turning it in for a full refund, a testament to how well the activity tracker works. It's flexible design gives it more of a relaxed fit than the Nike FuelBand SE and it has a screen and web interface, both of which the Jawbone Up 24 lacks.

Fitbit Force, without the possibility of a rash, is still one of the best ways move all 100,000 steps that are recommended for a single day. It's always-available metrics log more types of data than all of Fitbit's mainstream competitors with steps, distance, calories burned, very active minutes, floors climbed. Of course, none of this matters if you're susceptible skin irritation or don't want to risk it. In that case, the Jawbone Up 24 is a good alternative or you can sit on the bench until the release of an inevitable iWatch and Google smartwatch.

]]>Jawbone Up24 reviewhttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/jawbone-up24-review-1237839/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/jawbone-up24-review-1237839/reviewWireless syncing improves this stylish fitness tracker, though it contains no display for on-demand stats.Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:45:00 +0000techradar.comUpdate: The Up24 may have been superseded by the Jawbone UP2 and Jawbone UP3, but you can still pick it up fairly cheaply around the traps. We've updated the review to reflect this.

Original review below:

The smart and sporty Jawbone Up24 is the most fashionable, lightweight and comfortable fitness tracking wearable you can buy, and it has a beautiful app to match. Its activity and sleep tracking internals are also just about as brainy as the Fitbit Force and Nike FuelBand SE.

Some functionality is sacrificed in the name of vanity. There's no display on the device itself for on-demand workout stats or a web-based portal to chart the quantified self data it silently collects. All metrics have to be synced to an iOS or, as of this month, an Android app.

The good news is that Jawbone Up24 is able to wirelessly sync these accurate step and sleep quality numbers through Bluetooth. This is a major improvement over the original Jawbone Up transfer method that required physically plugging in the device for each and every upload.

Now, as the Jawbone Up24 name suggests, this new version can truly be worn 24 hours a day without the need to take it off between syncs. Combined with the 3.0 version of its colourful app and newly released Android support, this is one of the top wellness motivators, unless of course you own a Windows Phone 8 or other non-compatible device.

Jawbone Up24 is soft, yet durable

Design

The flexible Jawbone Up24 bracelet is coated with the same incredibly smooth non-latex rubber as its nearly identically designed predecessor. The company goes out of its way to say that this silky material is medical-grade and hypoallergenic, meaning it won't give you a nasty rash like the recently recalled Fitbit Force.

Beneath this rubber layer, the bracelet has a spring-steel inner-core that gives it that deformation-resistant elasticity. Its solid design ends up being less malleable than the Fitbit Force wristband, but it's even softer to the touch on the outside, an important feature for any wearable meant to be worn 24/7. Eye-catching OLED displays, the full gamut of metrics and colourful apps might turn heads, but any wrist-worn gadget has to be comfortable for these extras to be worth it.

Jawbone Up24 weighs in at just 20 grams. That means it's easier to forget that you're wearing it, compared to the Fitbit Force and the hard rubbered Nike FuelBand SE, both of which are 30 grams. It's also more fashionable than its two fitness-focused rivals.

The textured bracelet is thinner than its more plain-looking competitors, measuring about a centimetre in the direction of forearm to hand. Compare that to the 19mm width of the Fitbit Force. It's not a massive difference, but wholly beneficial when slipping on cuffed shirts or jackets. Constantly removing and attaching it won't need to be part of your fitness routine.

The bracelet thickness actually narrows as it wraps around the wrist to two overlapping ends. These unique prongs provide 38mm of security and stand out from the normal wristwatch clasp used in the Fitbit Force and other trackers. It's also easier to put on and take off.

Jawbone Up24 comes in two colours: Persimmon (reddish orange) and Onyx (black). Personally, I miss the light blue and mint green of the original Up bracelet, but orange and black are a good start. There are also three sizes again: small, medium and large to fit a variety of wrists.

This clever plastic flap helps you measure your wrist size in stores

At the store, you won't need to break out the measuring tape, as the packing includes a clever plastic layer with a size-appropriate hole through the centre. It can be lifted to see if your wrist fits. Jawbone offers a traditional print-out guide just in case you're ordering online.

What's missed more than additional colours is a display, especially after having used the flashy dot matrix LED of the Nike FuelBand SE and conventional OLED display of the Fitbit Force. You'll have to break your habit of reaching for your wearable to check on progress, as you'll now need an app for that.

The only two backlit icons underneath the non-latex rubber are a sun and a moon. They indicate activity and sleep mode. Everything else will have you back to the app.

Now works on iOS devices and 10 Android phones

App

Activity is represented by a vertical orange bar that shoots up with more physical movement. Tapping it reveals a horizontal 24-hour timeline that spikes vertically with hourly movement. It's based on the number of steps taken and miles or kilometres traveled.

Additional tabulations below the bar graph include active time, longest active time, longest idle time, total calories burned, active calories burned and resting calories burned. It's almost the full spectrum of fitness metrics. Flights of stairs climbed is the one missing stat I've seen before elsewhere. Unlike the Fitbit Force, there's no altimeter sensor packed into this tiny bracelet.

That's okay because the Jawbone Up24 sensors for everything else are more accurate and customisable than its wearable peers. Fitbit Force, for example, likes to add five phantom steps for every 100 taken, skewing the numbers quite a bit by the end of the day. The Up24 didn't do that, and it includes a "Calibrate Your Band" option deep within its settings menu to improve accuracy.

Almost made it to that activity goal. Next time!

The app's invitingly bright colour and the overall better accuracy are a good motivator, but nothing gets you on your feet faster than a slap on the wrist. Its idle alerts are more like a joybuzzer than electroshock therapy, causing the bracelet to vibrate whenever you're inactive for a set amount of time. It can be set to gently buzz your wrist every two hours all the way down to every fifteen minutes.

Idle alert reminders also include a start time and end time, so it should only buzz you during work hours, for example, and not when you're at home watching a movie. Nike included this feature in its FuelBand SE bracelet, but its hourly "move reminders" don't have the same idle time customisations. Garmin Vivofit may be the only one to do it better with a red inactivity bar that visually grows throughout the set sedentary time period before the nagging begins.

The motivators don't stop there. "Today I Will" challenges encourage you to get to sleep a few minutes earlier than the night before, drink all eight recommended glasses of water in 24 hours or walk a few additional steps by the end of the day. These personalised challenges are based on how well you've met your goals in the past week and make the whole Up system feel as if it's getting to know you better than any other tracker.

Workout, pill-taking and custom tasks can be programmed in via the reminders menu that sends a notifications to both the phone and the bracelet. Finding teammates through your contact list, Facebook and Twitter can also fire you up. There's room for comments, but this peer-to-peer motivation is more likely going to come from you seeing how much everyone else is obliterating your steps count in the well-laid out Up newsfeed.

Sleep tracking

Most gadgets keep us awake past our bedtime, but the Jawbone Up24 could actually help us catch more Zs. Its sleep tracking capabilities chart the traditional eight hours with dark blue, light blue and orange vertical bars on a timeline. This corresponds to you being sound asleep, restless and awake in bed.

The app's sleep mode is surprisingly accurate for a fitness bracelet, going as far as reporting when it thinks you fell asleep and total awake time. Kicking the Jawbone Up24 into sleep mode requires pressing the device's single button at the end of one of its overlapping prongs.

Sleeping on the job of switching it over to this mode isn't a problem. You can still log unconscious hours manually, and the Up24 will even guess as to when you were asleep. It works far better than the FitBit Force's sleep tracking, which is equivalent to a lot of tossing and turning.

Fitbit's sleep tracking performance has always been suspect and while Nike added a sleep mode to its FuelBand SE, it doesn't actually keep tabs on sleep quality, just time slept. That leaves few challengers for the Jawbone Up24, although I did take a look at the Withings Aura at CES 2014. It's dedicated to sleep tracking and costs twice as much, but could roll Jawbone off its king-size mattress throne when it comes out.

Your partner in sleep will appreciate this: the Jawbone Up24 can replace a blaring alarm clock with its smart sleep alarms. Setting this "silent alarm" of sorts wakes you up with gentle vibrations that won't disturb anyone else. A sleep window option from 10 to 30 minutes also makes it possible to avoid being woken up during deep sleep, making you less groggy in the morning.

Logging food is easier here, but it's still tedious

Meal tracking

No one gets food logging quite right, but the Jawbone Up24 app comes close. That's because it uses a barcode scanning in conjunction with an iOS or Android camera and a food product's UPC code. There's also the traditional nutritional database available.

While this kind of tracking functionality is nothing new, for Aussies there has traditionally been a tendency for local food products to be overlooked on the database for scanning foods.

Ultimately we had about a 60 per cent success rate when scanning food. Big name brands like Snickers and Twinings tea all scanned fine - as did most Aldi produce - but a Cadbury's block of chocolate came back negative.

You can manually add the nutritional information if it doesn't appear in the database. The problem is that it doesn't add it to the database, meaning the next time you scan the barcode you'll hit the exact same roadblock.

Meals are tracked on the main screen with a green bar that sits next to the orange activity and purple sleep measurements. It's given as much prominence as activity and sleep, but maintaining its presence by scanning or typing in a food and then figuring out how much has been consumed is tedious.

Waiter, may I see this dish's bar code? Matters are made worse when eating out. The convenient barcode option isn't viable at restaurants and the food database only goes so far. How are you supposed to log Chicken Tikka Marsala at your local Indian restaurant without bringing in a scale? This place doesn't even allow outside drinks.

The Fitbit app, without a barcode scanner, is even more useless for meal planning and the Nike FuelBand app doesn't bother to track food.

You can try using a third party app like MyFitnessPal to track your food consumption and integrate it via the Up's API, but many of the issues around eating out and an incomplete database remain.

So generally, you'll probably find that the food-tracking aspect of the device will go unused pretty quickly after you start wearing the Up24 band.

The battery life is acceptable, but the charging method is not

Battery life

Bluetooth syncing has reduced the Jawbone Up24 battery life to a still-impressive seven days, down from the ten that the original had promised. That's a fair exchange for the added wireless syncing functionality between the bracelet and app.

No one wants to go back to manually twisting off the cap then plugging the Jawbone into an iOS or Android device just to see how many steps they have walked. Instead, Bluetooth 4.0 keeps the bracelet on your wrist while maintaining a respectable battery cycle. It's not quite as long as the seven to ten days that the Fitbit Force and Nike FuelBand SE lasted in our tests.

To make up for that, a real-time battery drain calculator is provided in the Jawbone Up24 app. It reads that there are "7 days left" right after a charge and, a week later, predicts "about a day" right before the bracelet needs to be plugged back in. That's much better than a vague, slowly draining battery icon.

Not as straightforward is the fact that the Jawbone Up24 uses a 2.5mm stereo inline jack to charge. That's the smaller headphone jack size that everyone hated about the original iPhone. While a 2.5mm-to-USB adapter is included so that the bracelet can be plugged into any USB port, the connector a measly four inches and very easy to lose.

The original Jawbone Up used the standard 3.5mm, so that size should have been maintained or the company should've switched over to a micro USB plug instead.

It's now compatible with several Android phones including the Note 3

Compatibility

Jawbone Up24 is expanding its app compatibility list now that it supports a handful of Android phones in addition to iOS devices containing the key ingredient: low-energy Bluetooth 4.0.

As long as Apple fans are on the iPhone 4S or newer or the iPad 3 or newer, wireless syncing will work between the bracelet and the app. Much to the chagrin of Android owners, this was the exclusive way to sync the two until mid-March.

Requirements are a bit more stringent for Google-powered smartphones. Up24 requires Bluetooth 4.0, Android 4.3, and currently won't work with any Android tablets.

This pales in comparison to the 44 iOS and Android devices that are Fitbit-compatible, including the newly announced HTC One M8 that features an integrated Fitbit menu. But Jawbone Up24 is further along than it was just a few days ago.

The Android support issue is compounded by the question marks over when handsets get updates. We started testing the device after checking the Android compatability list and seeing the Xperia Z1, but when it came time to pair with Sony's handset, we were hamstrung by the fact that the phone was only running Android 2.2.

Fortunately, the phone got updated to 4.4 the next week, but there are significant question marks over Android support that should be researched before purchase.

The price of the Bluetooth-enabled Up24 has ticked up a bit

Price

Bluetooth syncing comes at a price. The Jawbone Up24 costs $180 compared to the cheaper original at $150 and it's now available in 29 countries including Australia, the UK and most of Europe.

Even with the added expense, it's hard to put a price on not having to physically attach the older version to a phone's stereo jack for each and every update. Wirelessly syncing activity data is a convenience that could help you avoid dropping the habit of wearing the bracelet. Our brains often look for any barrier to entry when working out, so it may be worth the extra cash in the end.

The price is also fairly consistent with the Nike FuelBand SE about AU$190, and although the Fitbit Force was cheaper at $169, it was recalled and never made its way out of the US and Canada.

As it's solely a fitness tracker, Jawbone Up24 is also cheaper than health-and-smartwatch combos like the Samsung Gear Fit that's $249, and it's likely to be cheaper then multifaceted Android Wear watches and Apple's rumoured iWatch.

The hassle-free wireless version is worth the money

We liked

Jawbone Up24 stands out from rival fitness and sleep tracking wearables thanks to its textured, yet ultra-soft bracelet design. That's to be expected. Jawbone is known for making Bluetooth headsets more fashion forward than backward, and it's done the same for its fitness trackers.

It goes the extra mile this time by wirelessly syncing steps and sleep data to its robust app via Bluetooth. That's something the original Jawbone Up bracelet didn't include despite the fact that the company is primarily known for the technology.

With an inviting, colourful app, it's exciting to check everyday and easy to comprehend the all-important activity and sleep stats. Extras like idle alerts and "Today I Will" challenges go a long way to improve those scores.

iOS and Android support is a start, but how about a web app?

We disliked

As vivid as the app is on a smartphone, the same stats can't be quickly checked on the device itself because it lacks a native display. That severely limits its usefulness among runners who want on-demand metrics. There's also no web-based portal to get a better grasp of your overall performance. The 9.7-inch iPad Air screen is the biggest Jawbone Up24 display in town.

It's seven-day battery life isn't terrible, even though it drains faster than the Nike FuelBand SE and Fitbit Force. The real problem is the it requires a 2.5mm jack to be charged. It comes with a 2.5mm-to-USB charger that's way too easy to lose.

Even if these cons are acceptable, a few people won't be able to bypass the fact that this wireless Jawbone Up can't sync with nearly as many Android devices as the Fitbit Force, and all Android tablets are incompatible at this point. While Samsung's current flagship phones work with the Bluetooth-enabled bracelet, the new Galaxy S5 isn't on the list yet, and the same applies to the HTC One M8.

The price of the Bluetooth-enabled Up24 has ticked up a bit

Final Verdict

The Jawbone Up24 is one of the most inspiring fitness wearables that you can latch onto your wrist. It's fashionable, lightweight design makes it easier to wear for a full 24 hours compared to its plain-looking, anchor-like competition. This doesn't feel like you're wearing a single handcuff. Better yet, the accurate activity and sleep tracking metrics make it useful both day and night.

It's even more motivating when syncing all of this data to the bright-and-cheery Jawbone Up 3.0 app. Charting out steps and sleep quality explains where you're making progress and where you're letting yourself down. Your life is analysed every swipe down to refresh.

The Fitbit Force recall makes the Jawbone Up24 the ideal choice among fitness tracking wearables by default. Even if that weren't the case, this bracelet would have a slight edge given its more comfortable design, easier-to-read app and better accuracy, all of which drive a more informed if not healthier lifestyle.

]]>Dog & Bone LockSmarthttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/dog-bone-locksmart-1313328/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/dog-bone-locksmart-1313328/reviewAn ingenious Bluetooth-enabled keyless padlock with very few drawbacks.Tue, 19 Jan 2016 01:53:00 +0000techradar.comPadlocks have always been pretty straightforward, haven't they? Simply lock one up and keep its key in a safe place so you can open it up again. Not much more to it, is there?

Actually, there are a number of ways in which padlocks can evolve in order to provide expanded functionality and ease of use.

For starters, you have to get new physical keys made and distributed if more than one person (i.e. a friend, housemate or family member) needs to access what's behind the lock.

You also have to keep a key on you or nearby in order to unlock it regularly, and really, who needs or wants another key to carry around?

Personally, every time I want to leave through the back door of my house, I have to walk inside, find the key to the back gate, walk back outside, unlock the padlock, walk inside and put the key away again, then come back out in order to pass through it. That's a whole lot of back-and-forth to achieve an extremely simple task.

With the rising popularity of smart home accessories that apply wireless functionality to relatively mundane items, it makes sense that a padlock would be next.

With that in mind, the idea of keyless Bluetooth padlock that I can unlock with my phone (which is on me almost always) starts to seem like a perfect solution to all of my first world problems.

Dog & Bone has created exactly that with its LockSmart Bluetooth Keyless Padlock, and it's managed to do so with only a couple of minor downsides.

Having spent the holiday season with the LockSmart padlock, we've put the device through its paces to see if the added convenience is worth the cost (AU$130/US$90/£63). Will it change the way you look at padlocks forever? It just might...

Design

As you'd expect, Dog & Bone's LockSmart is a hefty piece of kit, with the kind of weighty, solid build that you'd want from something that keeps your possessions safe.

Red rubber bumpers on the front and back of the padlock provide some protection for your belongings while also giving the LockSmart a bit of added style (surely one of the most important factors in deciding which padlock to purchase). The LockSmart is also weather-proof, so leaving it out in the rain, hail, or extreme cold is no issue.

On the bottom of the lock is a red rubber flap which opens up to reveal a micro-USB port for charging the device and a button you'll need to press to sync the lock to your phone and also wake it (it turns off completely when not being used to conserve battery – more on that later).

Though it's quite obvious (being a keyless lock and all), it should be noted that the lock does not have a keyhole or any form of key activated unlock mechanism.

In terms of security, Dog & Bone's Bluetooth padlock provides 128-bit advanced encryption, as well as a 256-bit cloud generated private key, which admittedly won't do a lot against a pair of strong bolt cutters. Still, at least you know that your stuff will be safe from bolt cutter-less hackers.

Performance

In order to control the LockSmart keyless padlock, you'll need to download Dog & Bone's LockSmart app (available for both iOS and Android).

The first thing you'll need to do is create an account with Dog & Bone. This allows you to log in from any phone and take control of your padlock, meaning you don't have to worry about your padlock when you eventually get a new handset.

Once you've paired the padlock to your phone, it will appear in a list within the app. Here, you can name the padlock whatever you want, which is helpful if you have more than one of them paired.

You can choose one of three different methods of unlocking your LockSmart padlock. Tap to unlock is the least secure method, simply allowing you to tap on a picture of your selected padlock to open it up. Touch ID (or Fingerprint on Android phones) is much more secure, allowing you to use your phone's fingerprint sensor to unlock the LockSmart – something only you can do. If your smartphone doesn't have a fingerprint sensor, you can also use Passcode mode.

Though the app is nicely designed and very easy to use, we did occasionally get a "Bluetooth session timed out" message on our first attempt at unlocking the LockSmart. When this did happen, we'd simply try again and the device would unlock as normal.

One of the best features of the LockSmart keyless padlock is the ability to share unlocking privileges to up to 50 people. This allows multiple people to use the lock without having to share keys or get extras made.

The LockSmart app lets you invite a new user by sending a person on your phone's contact list an SMS with instructions explaining how to download the app and connect to your padlock.

Admittedly, the LockSmart would sometimes find itself overwhelmed if more than one person would try to connect to it at around the same time. In these instances, one person would keep complete control while the other would be left searching for a connection.

Thankfully, once the other person's connection dropped out (after a minute or so), control would transfer over to the next person. While that scenario can be slightly annoying, it isn't one that would come up with much regularity.

Another drawback to having a Bluetooth-enabled padlock is that it needs to be recharged. Thankfully, the LockSmart goes into Power Save Mode when it isn't being used, providing you with up to 2 years of functionality before it needs to be recharged again.

You also don't have to worry about the padlock running out of battery, as you can check your lock's battery level at any time (within range of the device) from your LockSmart app. You'll also receive prompts and notifications reminding you to recharge.

Having used our review unit for a couple weeks, with regular unlocks several times a day, our LockSmart is still at a full 100% charge, so it's easy to believe that it'll last as long as it says it will before needing to be plugged in again.

Verdict

Its sturdy, solid build also fills you with confidence in its ability to keep your belongings secure.

We love the way that unlocking privileges can be shared with up to 50 friends, completely eliminating the need for extra keys that could be lost or stolen.

And, unlike regular locks, it also lets you know when your friends have been unlocking it, so you'll never be caught off-guard. Its activity log also makes it easier to keep track of who's had access to the items the lock is protecting.

Admittedly, the idea of a padlock that needs to be recharged is somewhat off-putting, however, its long 2-year battery life and recharge reminders should quell most of those concerns.

While we did experience the odd connection issue (usually due to multiple users attempting to access the LockSmart simultaneously), it's not the kind of thing that would happen frequently enough to warrant any serious bother.

]]>Jawbone Uphttp://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/jawbone-up-1145335/review
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/jawbone-up-1145335/reviewAt its core, the Jawbone Up is a very attractive pedometer -- with pretensions to be much more. It collects some interesting data, but ends up creating questions rather than answers.Tue, 19 Jan 2016 01:27:00 +0000techradar.comUpdate: You'll struggle to find a first-gen Jawbone UP on the street, so it might be worth checking out our Jawbone UP3 and Jawbone UP2 reviews.

Original review follows:

Like love, sensors are all around us. The astronomic growth in smartphone uptake means that most of the people you know now carry around a device that is constantly monitoring movement, light, sound and location. To date, the data captured by these sensors has found limited application, but this will soon change.

At its core, the Jawbone Up is a pedometer, but with pretensions of being much more. Within its "medical grade" rubber casing, the Up houses a number of motion sensors and shares the information it collects with a smartphone app for iPhones and Android.

Beyond counting your steps, Jawbone believes the Up is capable of monitoring your sleep as well. Using proprietary algorythms, the wristband and its software tell you how well you slept based on how you moved, sensing a difference between light and deep sleep and acknowledging when you wake up.

The accuracy of these readings is hard to guage though, and acting on the information it feeds back is entirely up to the user to figure out.

Smartly designed

There is one thing for certain: the Jawbone UP is fantastically designed. Both the wristband and the app are sleek, easy to grasp and a pleasure to use.

The band itself is completely devoid of clasps or clips. It is a flexible loop that you slip around your wrist, and it sits comfortably below your hand. There are three sizes to choose from, with a size guide on the Jawbone site.

Best of all, the wristband looks good to wear. Our review unit is black, and it goes with every outfit in our wardrobe, from unwashed weekend wear to cocktail party dress.

At one end of the band is a small, square tip, that looks like mere decoration. In fact, this is the single button on the Up that users interact with. A long press on the button changes between day and night modes (you switch it before bed), and a double-press and hold command starts special modes, like a power nap, or the recording of an excercise session.

On the opposite end is a cap with the Jawbone logo on. When removed, a 3.5mm jack is revealed which should plug into every phone that the Up app is available on. Cleverly, this connection is used for data transfers from the band and also for charging -- there is a 3.5mm to USB adapter in the box.

Arguably, it would have been more clever to use Bluetooth for data syncing with smartphones -- the way its major competitor FitBit does. Tugging off the protective cap and plugging the wristband into a phone is no great strain, but we'll always prefer a wireless solution.

A full battery charge is good for 10-days worth of use, should you won't be using the adapter too frequently, which is a plus.

The app

Monitoring the data collected by the Up is quite good fun, thanks to Jawbone's colourful and well-designed smartphone app. Large arrows point towards your daily goals and animate when you reach them; congratualting you on your small achievements.

You begin the Up journey by telling it a little about yourself: gender, weight, daily walking goal, etc. It keeps track of everything thereafter, showing you how you are doing each day, as well as collecting data over time into larger, more complex graphs.

Once or twice a day you plug the Up wristband into your phone via the headphone socket. Doing this syncs your data with the app.

You can enter food into the mix, but this isn't really designed as a calorie counter. The pre-set food options are extremely limited, and manually entering these details is a pain.

If you gain motivation from groups, you can select friends to add to your "team" and watch each others daily progress.

What does it all mean?

Not to delve too deeply into the existential, but what does it all mean? Data collection and graphing is one thing, but what are you to do with the information the Up feeds back?

Some of it is pretty simple. For example, after using the Up for a month it is clear that this reviewer needs to get up and walk more. If the average adult should walk 10,000 steps a day, I'm a few kilometres short. The solution here is pretty straight forward.

But what about sleep? Each night the wristband reports on the quality of sleep with coloured-strips that show how much deep sleep you had, how much light sleep you had and often you were awake.

My sleep looks bad -- I think. There seems to be far too much light sleep, only thin strips of deep sleep and several instances of waking up each night. It is interesting to gaze at the graphs each day, but without suggestions on how to act, the Up creates more questions than it answers.

On top of this, you have to take this information at face value, if you do at all. There are several times during the review period where the band has reported periods of being awake that we don't rememberm for example. Is it wrong? We have no evidence to the contrary.

On a similar note, the Jawbone could have a limited use for some people with sleeping disorders. This reviewer has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine to sleep comfortably. During the review period, data from the Up suggested poor sleep and prompted a check-up.

It is certainly a long way from being an effective monitoring tool for these sorts of disorders -- heart-rate monitoring would be necessary for starters -- but it is handy for (very) general guidance.

Vs FitBit

Comparing the Jawbone Up to its most obvious competitor, the FitBit One, it's easy to see just how much growth this category has in front of it.

The FitBit One is a key competitor to the Up

When it comes to step counting, the Up feels significantly looser than the FitBit model. While we couldn't do a side-by-side comparison for absolute accuracy, we found that we hit our goal of 10,000 steps a lot more frequently with the Up, despite not changing our habits.

The One's screen is a welcome addition as well, giving immediate feedback of performance. To get a quick idea of how you are performing during the day, you need to manually sync the Up band, while the FitBit's OLED screen can give that information at the press of a button, as well as offering information about calories burnt.

The sleep function, on the other hand, is a much nicer implementation via the Up band. Because the Up is already on the wrist, it's as simple as pressing the button to switch to sleep mode.

The FitBit, on the other hand, requires the device to be slipped into a special pouch that wraps around your wrist and attaches with velcro. Because the tracker is in a pouch, it's much easier to forget to switch the device in or out of sleep mode.

The information you get from the Up, when displayed through the accompanying app, is also a lot more useful than the FitBit version, especially for sleep. The Up app's food counter is also more usable - although not necessarily more accurate.

Ultimately, the Up is a lifestyle product. It's designed to look good, while providing your information on your lifestyle so you can hopefully improve it.

The FitBit, on the other hand, is more of a tool, something that works to enable you to improve your lifestyle. They may do similar things, but if you're serious about accountability for your physical actions, the FitBit is a much more accurate tool.

Verdict

It looks good and it certainly seems to work as intended, but if you were hoping that the Up was something more than a pedometer in fancy dress, then you'll be disappointed. Especially considering that At $149 it is twice the price of most step-counters. It certainly looks much better, and its smartphone app is well designed, but at the end of the day the functionality it collects the same data as a pedometer and leaves the same questions unanswered.